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LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  Di,:G.. 


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THE  NEW 
MEDIEVAL  UBRARY 


THE  NEW  MBDIBVAL  LIBRARY 

ILLUSTRATED 

THE  CHATELAINE  OF  VERGI. 
Translated  by  Alice  Kemp- 
Welch.  With  an  Introduction 
by  L.  Brandin. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  DUKE 
OF  TRUE  LOVERS.  Trans- 
lated  and  edited  by  Alice  Kemp- 
Welch. 

OF  THE  TUMBLER  OF  OUR 
LADY.  Translated  and  edited 
by  Alice  Kemp-Wblch. 

THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  HOLY 
FINA,  VIRGIN  OF  SANTO 
GEMINIANO.  Translated  and 
edited  by  M.  Mansfield. 

THE  BABEES'  BOOK:  Medieval 
Manners  for  the  Young.  Modern- 
ised    and     edited     by     Edith 

RiCKERT. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  DIVINE 
CONSOLATION  OF  SAINT 
ANGELA  DA  FOLIGNO. 
Translated  by  Mary  G.  Stekg- 
MANN.  With  an  Introduction  by 
Algar  Thorold. 

E.\RLY  ENGLISH  ROMANCES 
OF  LOVE.     Edited  by   Edith 

RlCKERT. 

EARLY  ENGLISH  ROMANCES 
OF  FRIENDSHIP.  Edited  by 
Edith  Rickert. 

ANCIENT  ENGLISH  CHRIST- 
MAS CAROLS.  Collected  and 
arranged  by  Edith  Rickert. 

THE  CELL  OF  SELF-KNOW- 
LEDGE:  Seven  Early  English 
Mystical  Treatises.  Edited  by 
Edmund  G.  Gardner,  M.A, 


^wt  ♦  ateii  ♦  of 
ielf-Mtiotoled^e 

ffdUeD-tatlh-anMroiiJirtiOtt 


THE  CELL  OF  SELF- 
KNOWLEDGE  :  SEVEN 
EARLY  ENGLISH  MYSTICAL 
TREATISES  PRINTED  BY 
HENRY  PEP  WELL  IN  1521: 
EDITED  WITH  AN  INTRO- 
DUCTION AND  NOTES  BY 
EDMUND  G.  GARDNER,  M.  A. 


NEW  YORK 

OXFORD   UNIVERSITY    PRESS 
AMERICAN  BRANCH 


The  Frontispiece  is  taken  from 
B.M.  MS.  Faustina,  B.  VI. 


All  rights  reserved 


"  Stiamo  nella  cella  del  cognoscimento  di  noi ;  cogno- 
scendo,  noi  per  noi  non  essere,  e  la  bonta  di  Dio  in  noi ; 
ricognoscendo  I'essere,  e  ogni  grazia  che  e  posta  sopra 
I'essere,  da  lui." — St.  Catherine  of  Siena. 

"  Tergat  ergo  speculum  suum,  mundet  spiritum  suum, 
quisquis  sitit  videre  Deum  suum.  Exterso  autem  speculo 
et  diu  diligenter  inspecto,  incipit  ei  quaedam  divini 
luminis  claritas  interlucere,  et  immensus  quidam  insolitae 
visionis  radius  oculis  ejus  apparere.  Hoc  lumen  oculos 
ejus  irradiaverat,  qui  dicebat :  Signatum  est  super  nos 
lumen  vultus  tut,  Domine  ;  dedisti  laetitiam  in  corde  meo. 
Ex  hujus  igitur  luminis  visione  quam  admiratur  in  se, 
mirum  in  modum  accenditur  animus,  et  animatur  ad 
videndum  lumen,  quod  est  supra  se." — Richard  of  St. 
Victor. 


CONTENTS 

FAGB 

I.  A  very  Devout  Treatise,  named  Benjamin,  of  the 
Mights  and  Virtues  of  Man's  Soul,  and  of  the 
Way  to  True  Contemplation,  compiled  by  a 
Noble  and  Famous  Doctor,  a  man  of  great  holi- 
ness and  devotion,  named  Richard  of  Saint 
Victor     I 

The  Prologue      ......         3 

Cap.  I,  Hovyr  the  Virtue  of  Dread  riseth  in 
the  Affection 7 

Cap.  11.  How  Sorrow  riseth  in  the  Affection        8 

Cap.  III.  How  Hope  riseth  in  the  Affection        9 

Cap.  IV.  How  Love  riseth  in  the  Affection        10 

Cap.  V.  How  the  Double  Sight  of  Pain  and 
Joy  riseth  in  the  Imagination  .         .         .12 

Cap.  VI.  How  the  \lrtues  of  Abstinence  and 
Patience  rise  in  the  Sensuality  .        .      15 

Cap.  VII.  How  Joy  of  Inward  Sweetness 

riseth  in  the  Affection     ....       19 
iz 


X  CONTENTS 

PAGX 

Cap.  VIII.    How  Perfect    Hatred    of    Sin 
riseth  in  the  Affection     .         .         .         .22 

Cap.  IX.  How  Ordained  Shame   riseth  and 
groweth  in  the  Affection  .         .         •     24 

Cap.  X.  How   Discretion  and  Contempla- 
tion rise  in  the  Reason  .         .         >     '^^ 

II.  Divers  Doctrines  Devout  and  Fruitful,  taken  out 

of  the  Life  of  that  Glorious  Virgin  and  Spouse 
of  Our  Lord,  Saint  Katherin  of  Seenes  .        .    35 

III.  A  Short  Treatise  of  Contemplation  taught  by 

Our  Lord  Jesu  Christ,  or  taken  out  of  the  Book 

of  Margery  Kepipe,  Ancress  of  Lynn     .        .    49 

IV.  A  Devout  Treatise  compiled  by  Master  Walter 

Hylton  of  the  Song  of  Angels        .        .        .61 

V.  A  Devout  Treatise  called  the  Epistle  of  Prayer    75 

VI.  A  very  necessary  Epistle  of  Discretion  in  Stir- 
rings of  the  Soul 93 

VII.  A  Devout  Treatise  of  Discerning  of  Spirits, 

very  necessary  for  Ghostly  Livers  .        .        •  117 


INTRODUCTION 

FROM  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  to  the  beginning  of 
the  fifteenth  century  may  be  called  the  golden  age 
of  mystical  literature  in  the  vernacular.  In  Germany,  we 
find  Mechthild  of  Magdeburg  {d.  1277),  Meister  Eckhart 
{d.  1327),  Johannes  Tauler  {d.  1361),  and  Heinrich  Suso 
{d.  1365)  ;  in  Flanders,  Jan  Ruysbroek  (d.  1381)  ;  in 
Italy,  Dante  Alighieri  himself  {d.  1321),  Jacopone  da 
Todi  {d.  1306),  St.  Catherine  of  Siena  {d.  1380),  and 
many  lesser  writers  who  strove,  in  prose  or  in  poetry,  to 
express  the  hidden  things  of  the  spirit,  the  secret  inter- 
course of  the  human  soul  with  the  Divine,  no  longer  in 
the  official  Latin  of  the  Church,  but  in  the  language 
of  their  own  people,  "  a  man's  own  vernacular,"  which 
"  is  nearest  to  him,  inasmuch  as  it  is  most  closely  united 
to  him."  ^  In  England,  the  great  names  of  Richard 
Rolle,  the  Hermit  of  Hampole  {d.  1 349),  of  Walter  Hilton 
{d.  1396),  and  of  Mother  Juliana  of  Norwich,  whose 
Revelations  of  Divine  Love  professedly  date  from  1373, 
speak  for  themselves. 

^  Dante,  Convivio,  i,  12. 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

The  seven  tracts  or  treatises  before  us  were  published 
in  1 521  in  a  little  quarto  volume  :  "  Imprynted  at  London 
in  Poules  chyrchyarde  at  the  sygne  of  the  Trynyte,  by 
Henry  Pepwell.  In  the  yere  of  our  lorde  God,  m.ccccc.xxi., 
the  xvi.  daye  of  Nouembre."  They  may,  somewhat 
loosely  speaking,  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  the  fourteenth 
century,  though  the  first  and  longest  of  them  professes 
to  be  but  a  translation  of  the  work  of  the  great  Augus- 
tinian  mystic  of  an  earlier  age. 

St.  Bernard,  Richard  of  St.  Victor,  and  St.  Bona- 
ventura — all  three  very  familiar  figures  to  students  of 
Dante's  Paradiso — are  the  chief  influences  in  the  story 
of  EngUsh  mysticism.  And,  through  the  writings  of 
his  latter-day  followers,  Richard  RoUe,  Walter  Hilton, 
and  the  anonymous  author  of  the  Divine  Cloud  of  Un- 
knowing, Richard  of  St.  Victor  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
important  of  the  three. 

Himself  either  a  Scot  or  an  Irishman  by  birth,  Richard 
entered  the  famous  abbey  of  St.  Victor,  a  house  of 
Augustinian  canons  near  Paris,  some  time  before  1140, 
where  he  became  the  chief  pupil  of  the  great  mystical 
doctor  and  theologian  whom  the  later  Middle  Ages 
regarded  as  a  second  Augustine,  Hugh  of  St.  Victor. 
After  Hugh's  death  (1141),  Richard  succeeded  to  his 
influence  as  a  teacher,  and  completed  his  work  in  creat- 
ing the  mystical  theology  of  the  Church.  His  master- 
piece, De  Gratia  Content flationis,  known  also  as  Benjamin 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

Major,  in  five  books,  is  a  work  of  marvellous  spiritual 
insight,  unction,  and  eloquence,  upon  which  Dante 
afterwards  based  the  whole  mystical  psychology  of  the 
Paradiso?-  In  it  Richard  shows  how  the  soul  passes 
upward  through  the  six  steps  of  contemplation — in 
imagination,  in  reason,  in  understanding — gradually  dis- 
carding all  sensible  objects  of  thought ;  until,  in  the  sixth 
stage,  it  contemplates  what  is  above  reason,  and  seems 
to  be  beside  reason,  or  even  contrary  to  reason.  He 
teaches  that  there  are  three  qualities  of  contemplation, 
according  to  its  intensity  :  mentis  dilatatio,  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  soul's  vision  without  exceeding  the  bounds 
of  human  activity  ;  mentis  sublevatio,  elevation  of  mind, 
in  which  the  intellect,  divinely  illumined,  transcends  the 
measure  of  humanity,  and  beholds  the  things  above  itself, 
but  does  not  entirely  lose  self-consciousness  ;  and  mentis 
alienatio,  or  ecstasy,  in  which  all  memory  of  the  present 
leaves  the  mind,  and  it  passes  into  a  state  of  divine  trans- 
figuration, in  which  the  soul  gazes  upon  truth  without 
any  veils  of  creatures,  not  in  a  mirror  darkly,  but  in  its 
pure  simplicity.  This  master  of  the  spiritual  life  died 
in  1 173.  Amongst  the  glowing  souls  of  the  great  doctors 
and  theologians  in  the  fourth  heaven,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 

1  Cf.  the  Letter  to  Can  Grande  (Epist.  x,  28),  where  Dante, 
like  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  before  him,  refers  to  the  Benjamin 
Major  as  "  Richardus  de  Sancto  Victore  in  libro  De  Contem- 
platione." 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

bids  Dante  mark  the  ardent  spirit  of  "  Richard  who  in 
contemplation  was  more  than  man."  ^ 

Benjamin,  for  Richard,  is  the  type  of  contemplation, 
in  accordance  with  the  Vulgate  version  of  Psalm  Ixvii.  : 
Ibi  Benjamin  adolescentulus  in  mentis  excessu  :  "  There 
is  Benjamin,  a  youth,  in  ecstasy  of  mind  " — where  the 
English  Bible  reads  :  "  Little  Benjamin  their  ruler."  ^ 
At  the  birth  of  Benjamin,  his  mother  Rachel  dies :  "  For, 
when  the  mind  of  man  is  rapt  above  itself,  it  surpasseth 
all  the  limits  of  human  reasoning.  Elevated  above  itself 
and  rapt  in  ecstasy,  it  beholdeth  things  in  the  divine 
light  at  which  all  human  reason  succumbs.  What,  then, 
is  the  death  of  Rachel,  save  the  failing  of  reason  ?  "  ^ 

The  treatise  here  printed  under  the  title  Benjamin 
is  based  upon  a  smaller  work  of  Richard's,  a  kind  of  in- 
troduction to  the  Benjamin  Major,  entitled :  Benjamin 
Minor  i  or:  De  Praeparatione  animi  ad  Contemflationem. 
It  is  a  paraphrase  of  certain  portions  of  this  work,  with 
a  few  additions,  and  large  omissions.  Among  the  portions 
omitted  are  the  two  passages  that,  almost  alone  among 
Richard's  writings,  are  known  to  the  general  reader — or, 
at  least,  to  people  who  do  not  claim  to  be  specialists  in 
mediaeval  theology.  In  the  one,  he  speaks  of  knowledge 
of  self  as  the  Holy  Hill,  the  Mountain  of  the  Lord  : — 

1  Par.  X.  131,  132. 

2  Ps.  Ixviii.  27. 

3  Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  73. 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

"  If  the  mind  would  fain  ascend  to  the  height  of  science, 
let  its  first  and  principal  study  be  to  know  itself.  Full 
knowledge  of  the  rational  spirit  is  a  great  and  high 
mountain.  This  mountain  transcends  all  the  peaks  of 
all  mundane  sciences,  and  looks  down  upon  all  the  philo- 
sophy and  all  the  science  of  the  world  from  on  high. 
Could  Aristotle,  could  Plato,  could  the  great  band  of 
philosophers  ever  attain  to  it  ?  "  ^ 

In  the  other,  still  adhering  to  his  image  of  the  moun- 
tain of  self-knowledge,  he  makes  his  famous  appeal  to  the 
Bible,  as  the  supreme  test  of  truth,  the  only  sure  guard 
that  the  mystic  has  against  being  deluded  in  his  lofty 
speculations  : — 

"  Even  if  you  think  that  you  have  been  taken  up  into 
that  high  mountain  apart,  even  if  you  think  that  you  see 
Christ  transfigured,  do  not  be  too  ready  to  beheve  any- 
thing you  see  in  Him  or  hear  from  Him,  unless  Moses 
and  Ehas  run  to  meet  Him.  I  hold  all  truth  in  suspicion 
which  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  does  not  confirm, 
nor  do  I  receive  Christ  in  His  clarification  unless  Moses 
and  Elias  are  talking  with  Him."  ^ 

1  Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  75.  Cf.  Shelley,  The  Triumph  of  Life  : 
"Their  lore  taught  them  not  this:  to  know  themselves."  This 
passage  of  Richard  is  curiously  misquoted  and  its  meaning  per- 
verted in  Haur^au,  Histoire  de  la  Philosophic  Scolastique,  i. 
pp.  513,  514,  in  the  Dictionary  of  National  Biography,  vol.  xvi,, 
and  elsewhere. 

8  Benjatnin  Minor,  cap.  81. 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

On  the  other  hand,  the  beautiful  passage  with  which 
the  version  closes,  so  typical  of  the  burning  love  of  Christ, 
shown  in  devotion  to  the  name  of  Jesus,  which  glows 
through  all  the  writings  of  the  school  of  the  Hermit  of 
Hampole,  is  an  addition  of  the  translator  : — 

"  And  therefore,  what  so  thou  be  that  covetest  to  come 
to  contemplation  of  God,  that  is  to  say,  to  bring  forth 
such  a  child  that  men  clepen  in  the  story  Benjamin  (that 
is  to  say,  sight  of  God),  then  shalt  thou  use  thee  in  this 
manner.  Thou  shalt  call  together  thy  thoughts  and  thy 
desires,  and  make  thee  of  them  a  church,  and  learn  thee 
therein  for  to  love  only  this  good  word  Jesu,  so  that  all 
thy  desires  and  all  thy  thoughts  are  only  set  for  to  love 
Jesu,  and  that  unceasingly  as  it  may  be  here ;  so  that 
thou  fulfil  that  is  said  in  the  psalm  :  '  Lord,  I  shall  bless 
Thee  in  churches ' ;  that  is,  in  thoughts  and  desires  of  the 
love  of  Jesu.  And  then,  in  this  church  of  thoughts  and 
desires,  and  in  this  onehead  of  studies  and  of  wills,  look 
that  all  thy  thoughts,  and  all  thy  desires,  and  all  thy  studies, 
and  all  thy  wills  be  only  set  in  the  love  and  the  praising 
of  this  Lord  Jesu,  without  forgetting,  as  far  forth  as  thou 
mayst  by  grace,  and  as  thy  frailty  will  suffer ;  evermore 
meeking  thee  to  prayer  and  to  counsel,  patiently  abiding 
the  will  of  our  Lord,  unto  the  time  that  thy  mind  be 
ravished  above  itself,  to  be  fed  with  the  fair  food  of  angels 
in  the  beholding  of  God  and  ghostly  things ;  so  that  it 
be  fulfilled  in  thee  that  is  written  in  the  psalm :  Ibi 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

Benjamin  adolescentulus  in  mentis  excessu  ;  that  is :  '  There 
is  Benjamin,  the  young  child,  in  ravishing  of  mind.'  "^ 

The  text  printed  by  Pepwell  differs  slightly  from  that 
of  the  manuscripts,  of  which  a  large  number  have  been 
preserved.  Among  others,  it  is  found  in  the  Arundel  MS. 
286,  and  the  Harleian  MSS.  674,  1022,  and  2373.  It  has 
been  pubHshed  from  the  Harl.  MS.  1022  by  Professor 
C.  Horstman,  who  observes  that  "  it  is  very  old,  and 
certainly  prior  to  Walter  Hilton."  ^  It  is  evidently  by 
one  of  the  followers  of  Richard  Rolle,  dating  from  about 
the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century.  External  and 
internal  evidence  seems  to  point  to  its  being  the  work 
of  the  anonymous  author  of  the  Divine  Cloud  of  Un- 
knowing. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  tell  again  the  wonderful  story 
of  St.  Catherine  of  Siena  (i  347-1 380),  one  of  the  noblest 
and  most  truly  heroic  women  that  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
Her  life  and  manifold  activities  only  touched  England 
indirectly.  The  famous  English  captain  of  mercenaries. 
Sir  John  Hawkwood,  was  among  the  men  of  the  world 
who,  at  least  for  a  while,  were  won  to  nobler  ideals 
by  her  letters  and  exhortations.  Two  of  her  principal 
disciples,  Giovanni  Tantucci  and  William  Flete,  both 
Augustinian    hermits,    were    graduates    of    Cambridge ; 

1  Cf.  below,  pp.  32,  33. 

'^  Richard  Rolle  of  Hampole  and  his  Followers,  edited  by  C. 
Horstman,  vol.  i.  pp.  162-172. 

h 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

the  latter,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  was  appointed  by 
her  on  her  deathbed  to  preside  over  the  continuance  of 
her  work  in  her  native  city,  and  a  vision  of  his,  concerning 
the  legitimacy  of  the  claims  of  Urban  the  Sixth  to  the 
papal  throne,  was  brought  forward  as  one  of  the  argu- 
ments that  induced  England,  on  the  outbreak  of  the  Great 
Schism  in  the  Church  (1378),  to  adhere  to  the  Roman 
obedience  for  which  Catherine  was  battling  to  the  death. 
A  letter  which  she  herself  addressed  on  the  same  subject 
to  King  Richard  the  Second  has  not  been  preserved. 

About  1493,  Wynkyn  de  Worde  printed  The  Lyf  of 
saint  Katherin  of  Senis  the  blessid  virgin,  edited  by 
Caxton ;  which  is  a  free  translation,  by  an  anonymous 
Dominican,  with  many  omissions  and  the  addition  of 
certain  reflections,  of  the  Legenda,  the  great  Latin  bio- 
graphy of  St.  Catherine  by  her  third  confessor,  Friar 
Raymond  of  Capua,  the  famous  master-general  and 
reformer  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic  {d.  1399).  He 
followed  this  up,  in  15 19,  by  an  English  rendering  by 
Brother  Dane  James  of  the  Saint's  mystical  treatise, 
the  Dialogo  :  "  Here  begynneth  the  Orcharde  of  Syon, 
in  the  whiche  is  conteyned  the  reuelacyons  of  seynt 
Katheryne  of  Sene,  with  ghostly  fruytes  and  precyous 
plantes  for  the  helthe  of  mannes  soule."  ^  This  was  not 
translated  from  St.  Catherine's  own  vernacular,  but  from 

1  Sene,  Senis,  or  Scenes,  "  Siena,"  from  the  Latin  Senae  (Catha- 
rina  de  Senis). 


INTRODUCTION  m 

Friar  Raymond's  Latin  version  of  the  latter,  first  printed 
at  Brescia  in  1496.  From  the  first  of  these  two  works, 
the  Lyf,  are  selected  the  passages — the  Divers  Doctrines 
devout  and  fruitful  —  which  Pepwell  here  presents  to  us  ; 
but  it  seems  probable  that  he  was  not  borrowing  directly 
from  Caxton,  as  an  almost  verbally  identical  selection, 
with  an  identical  title,  is  found  in  the  British  Museum, 
MS.  Reg.  17  D.V.,  where  it  follows  the  Divine  Cloud 
of  Unknowing. 

Margery  Kempe  is  a  much  more  mysterious  personage. 
She  has  come  down  to  us  only  in  a  tiny  quarto  of  eight 
pages  printed  by  Wynkyn  de  Worde  : — 

"  Here  begynneth  a  shorte  treatyse  of  contemplacyon 
taught  by  our  lorde  Jhesu  cryste,  or  taken  out  of  the  boke 
of  Margerie  kempe  of  Lynn." 

And  at  the  end  : — 

"  Here  endeth  a  shorte  treatyse  called  Margerie  kempe 
de  Lynn.  Enprynted  in  Fletestrete  by  Wynkyn  de 
worde." 

The  only  known  copy  is  preserved  in  the  University 
of  Cambridge.  It  is  undated,  but  appears  to  have  been 
printed  in  1501.^  With  a  few  insignificant  variations,  it 
is  the  same  as  was  printed  twenty  years  later  by  Pepwell, 
who  merely  inserts  a  few  words  like  "  Our  Lord  Jesus 
said  unto  her,"  or  "  she  said,"  and  adds  that  she  was  a 

^  Cf.  E.  Gordon  Duff,  Hand-Lists  of  English  Printers,  1501- 
1556,  i.  p.  24. 


XX  INTRODUCTION 

devout  ancress.  Tanner,  not  very  accurately,  writes : 
"  This  book  contains  various  discourses  of  Christ  (as  it  is 
pretended)  to  certain  holy  women ;  and,  written  in  the 
style  of  modern  Quietists  and  Quakers,  speaks  of  the 
inner  love  of  God,  of  perfection,  et  cetera."  ^  No  manu- 
script of  the  work  is  known  to  exist,  and  absolutely  no 
traces  can  be  discovered  of  the  "  Book  of  Margery 
Kempe,"  out  of  which  it  is  implied  by  the  Printer  that 
these  beautiful  thoughts  and  sayings  are  taken. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  treatise  itself  to  enable  us  to 
fix  its  date.  It  is,  perhaps,  possible  that  the  writer  or 
recipient  of  these  revelations  is  the  "  Margeria  filia 
Johannis  Kempe,"  who,  between  1284  and  1298,  gave 
up  to  the  prior  and  convent  of  Christ  Church,  Canter- 
bury, all  her  rights  in  a  piece  of  land  with  buildings  and 
appurtenances,  "  which  falls  to  me  after  the  decease  of 
my  brother  John,  and  lies  in  the  parish  of  Blessed  Mary  of 
Northgate  outside  the  waUs  of  the  city  of  Canterbury."  ^ 
The  revelations  show  that  she  was  (or  had  been)  a  woman 
of  some  wealth  and  social  position,  who  had  abandoned 
the  world  to  become  an  ancress,  following  the  life  pre- 
scribed in  that  gem  of  early  English  devotional  literature, 
the  Ancren  Rizvle?    It  is  clearly  only  a  fragment  of  her 

1  Bihliotheca  Britannico-Hibemica,  p.  452. 

2  Quietaclamium  Margerie filie  Johannis  Kempe  de  domibus  in 
parochia  de  Northgate.     Brit.  Mus.,  Add.  MS.  25,109. 

!*  She  was,  however,  apparently  less  strictly  enclosed  than  was 
usual  for  an  ancress. 


INTRODUCTION  xxi 

complete  book  (whatever  that  may  have  been)  ;  but  it 
is  enough  to  show  that  she  was  a  worthy  precursor  of 
that  other  great  woman  mystic  of  East  Anglia  :  Juhana 
of  Norwich.  For  Margery,  as  for  Juliana,  Love  is  the 
interpretation  of  revelation,  and  the  key  to  the  universal 
mystery  :  ^ — 

"  Daughter,  thou  mayst  no  better  please  God,  than 
to  think  continually  in  His  love." 

"  If  thou  wear  the  habergeon  or  the  hair,  fasting  bread 
and  water,  and  if  thou  saidest  every  day  a  thousand 
Pater  Nosters,  thou  shalt  not  please  Me  so  well  as  thou 
dost  when  thou  art  in  silence,  and  suffrest  Me  to  speak 
in  thy  soul." 

"  Daughter,  if  thou  knew  how  sweet  thy  love  is  to  Me, 
thou  wouldest  never  do  other  thing  but  love  Me  with 
all  thine  heart." 

"  In  nothing  that  thou  dost  or  sayest,  daughter,  thou 
mayst  no  better  please  God  than  believe  that  He  loveth 
thee.  For,  if  it  were  possible  that  I  might  weep  with 
thee,  I  would  weep  with  thee  for  the  compassion  that  I 
have  of  thee." 

And,  from  the  midst  of  her  celestial  contemplations, 
rises  up  the  simple,  poignant  cry  of  human  suffering  : 
"  Lord,  for  Thy  great  pain  have  mercy  on  my  little  pain." 

We  are  on  surer  ground  with  the  treatise  that  follows, 

1  Cf.  G.  Tyrrell,  Sixteen  Revelations  of  Divine  Love  shewed  to 
Mother  Juliana  of  Norwich,  Preface,  p.  v. 

b2 


xxii  INTRODUCTION 

the  Song  of  Angels?-  Walter  Hilton — who  died  on 
March  24,  1396 — ^holds  a  position  in  the  religious  life  and 
spiritual  literature  of  England  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
fourteenth  century  somewhat  similar  to  that  occupied 
by  Richard  Rolle  in  its  earlier  years.  Like  the  Hermit 
of  Hampole,  he  was  the  founder  of  a  school,  and  the 
works  of  his  followers  cannot  always  be  distinguished 
with  certainty  from  his  own.  Like  his  great  master  in 
the  mystical  way,  Richard  of  St.  Victor,  Hilton  was  an 
Augustinian,  the  head  of  a  house  of  canons  at  Thur- 
garton,  near  Newark.  His  great  work,  the  Scala  Perfec- 
tioniSf  or  Ladder  of  Perfection,  "  which  expoundeth  many 
notable  doctrines  in  Contemplation,"  was  first  printed 
by  Wynkyn  de  Worde  in  1494,  and  is  stiU  widely  used 
for  devotional  reading.  A  shorter  treatise,  the  EpistU 
to  a  Devout  Man  in  Temporal  Estate,  first  printed  by 
Pynson  in  1506,  gives  practical  guidance  to  a  religious 
layman  of  wealth  and  social  position,  for  the  fulfilling  of 
the  duties  of  his  state  wdthout  hindrance  to  his  making 
profit  in  the  spiritual  life.  These,  with  the  Song  of 
Angels,  are  the  only  printed  works  that  can  be  assigned 
to  him  with  certainty,  though  many  others,  undoubtedly 
from  his  pen,  are  to  be  found  in  manuscripts,  and  a  com- 
plete and  critical  edition  of  Walter  Hilton  seems  still  in 

1  In  the  British  Museum  copy  of  Pepwell's  volume,  ff.  1-2  of 
the  Epistle  of  Prayer  and  f.  i  of  the  Song  of  Angels  are  trans- 
posed. 


INTRODUCTION  xxiii 

the  far  future.^  The  Song  of  Angels  has  been  twice 
printed  since  the  edition  of  Pepwell.^  In  profoundly 
mystical  language,  tinged  with  the  philosophy  of  that 
mysterious  Neo-Platonist  whom  we  call  the  pseudo- 
Dionysius,  it  tells  of  the  wonderful  "  onehead,"  the  union 
of  the  soul  with  God  in  perfect  charity  : — 

"  This  onehead  is  verily  made  when  the  mights  of  the 
soul  are  reformed  by  grace  to  the  dignity  and  the  state 
of  the  first  condition ;  that  is,  when  the  mind  is  firmly 
established,  without  changing  and  wandering,  in  God 
and  ghostly  things,  and  when  the  reason  is  cleared  from 
all  worldly  and  fleshly  beholdings,  and  from  all  bodily 
imaginations,  figures,  and  fantasies  of  creatures,  and  is 
illumined  by  grace  to  behold  God  and  ghostly  things, 
and  when  the  will  and  the  affection  is  purified  and  cleansed 
from  all  fleshly,  kindly,  and  worldly  love,  and  is  inflamed 
with  burning  love  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

But  to  this  blessed  condition  none  may  attain  perfectly 
here  on  earth.  The  writer  goes  on  to  speak  of  the 
mystical   consolations   and   visitations   granted    to    the 

1  Cf.  C.  T.  Martin,  in  Dictionary  of  National  Biography,  vol. 
ix.  For  Hilton's  alleged  authorship  of  the  De  Imitatione  Christi, 
see  J.  E.  G.  de  Montmorency,  Tlwtnas  a  Kempis,  his  Age  and 
Book,  pp.  141-169. 

2  Edited  by  G.  G.  Perry,  under  the  title  The  Anehede  of  Godd 
with  mannis  saule,  as  the  work  of  Richard  Rolle,  in  English 
Prose  Treatises  of  Richard  Rolle  de  Hampole  (Early  English  Text 
Society,  1866),  pp.  14-19 ;  and,  in  two  texts,  by  C,  Horstman, 
op.  cit,,  vol.  i.  pp.  175-182. 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION 

loving  soul  in  this  life,  distinguishing  the  feelings  and 
sensations  that  are  mere  delusions,  from  those  that  truly 
proceed  from  the  fire  of  love  in  the  affection  and  the  light 
of  knowing  in  the  reason,  and  are  a  very  anticipation  of 
that  ineffable  "  onehead  "  in  heaven. 

The  three  remaining  treatises — the  Epistle  of  Prayer^ 
the  Epistle  of  Discretion  in  Stirrings  of  the  Soul,  and  the 
Treatise  of  Discerning  of  Spirits  ^ — are  associated  in  the 
manuscripts  with  four  other  works :  the  Divine  Cloud 
of  Unknowing,  the  Epistle  of  Privy  Counsel,  a  paraphrase 
of  the  Mystical  Theology  of  Dionysius  entitled  Dionise 
Hid  Divinity,  and  the  similar  translation  or  paraphrase 
of  the  Benjamin  Minor  of  Richard  of  St.  Victor  already 
considered.^  These  seven  treatises  are  all  apparently  by 
the  same  hand.  The  Divine  Cloud  of  Unknowing  has 
been  credited  to  Walter  Hilton,  as  likewise  to  William 
Exmew,  or  to  Maurice  Chauncy,  Carthusians  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  whereas  the  manuscripts  are  at  least 
a  hundred  years  earlier  than  their  time  ;  but  it  seems 
safer  to  attribute  the  whole  series  to  an  unknown 
writer  of  the  second  part  of  the  fourteenth  century,  who 

1  In  the  MSS.  this  is  called :  A  pystyll  of  discrecion  in  knowenge 
ofspirites;  or:  A  tretis  of  discrescyon  of  spirites, 

2  All  in  Harl.  MS.  674,  and  other  MSS.  The  Divine  Cloud 
of  Unknowing,  and  portions  of  the  Epistle,  Book,  or  Treatise,  of 
Privy  Counsel,  have  been  printed,  in  a  very  unsatisfactory  manner, 
in  The  Divine  Cloud  with  notes  and  a  Preface  by  Father  Augustine 
Baker,  O.S.B.     Edited  by  Henry  Collins.     London,  1871. 


INTRODUCTION  xxv 

"  marks  a  middle  point  between  RoUe  and  Hilton."  ^ 
The  spiritual  beauty  of  the  three  here  reprinted — and, 
more  particularly,  of  the  Epistle  of  Prayer,  with  its 
glowing  exposition  of  the  doctrine  of  Pure  Love — speaks 
for  itself.  They  show  us  mysticism  brought  down,  if 
I  may  say  so,  from  the  clouds  for  the  practical  guid- 
ance of  the  beginner  along  this  difficult  way.  And,  in 
the  Epistle  of  Discretion,  we  find  even  a  rare  touch  of 
humour ;  where  the  counsellor  "  conceives  suspiciously  " 
of  his  correspondent's  spiritual  stirrings,  lest  "  they  should 
be  conceived  on  the  ape's  manner."  Like  St.  Catherine 
of  Siena,  though  in  a  less  degree,  he  has  the  gift  of  vision 
and  the  faculty  of  intuition  combined  with  a  homely 
common  sense,  and  can  illustrate  his  "  simple  meaning  " 
with  a  smile. 

I  have  borrowed  a  phrase  from  St.  Catherine,  "  The 
Cell  of  Self-Knowledge,"  la  cella  del  cognoscimento  di  noi, 
as  the  title  of  this  little  volume.  Knowledge  of  self  and 
purity  of  heart,  the  mystics  teach,  are  the  indispensable 
conditions  for  the  highest  mystical  elevation.  Know- 
ledge of  self,  for  Richard  of    St.   Victor,  is  the  high 

1  D.  M.  M'Intyre,  The  Cloud  of  Unknowing,  in  the  Expositor, 
series  vii.  vol.  4  (1907).  Dr.  Rufus  M.  Jones,  Studies  in  Mystical 
Religion,  p.  336,  regards  these  treatises  as  the  work  of  "a  school 
of  mystics  gathered  about  the  writer  of  the  Hid  Divinity" 
Neither  of  these  authors  includes  the  translation  of  the  Benjamin 
Minor,  which,  however,  appears  to  me  undoubtedly  from  the  same 
hand  as  that  of  the  Divine  Cloud. 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION 

mountain  apart  upon  which  Christ  is  transfigured ;  for 
Catherine  of  Siena,  it  is  the  stable  in  which  the  pilgrim 
through  time  to  eternity  must  be  born  again.  "  Wouldest 
thou  behold  Christ  transfigured  ?  "  asks  Richard  ;  "  as- 
cend this  mountain  ;  learn  to  know  thyself."  ^  "  Thou 
dost  see,"  writes  Catherine,  speaking  in  the  person  of  the 
eternal  Father,  "  this  sweet  and  loving  Word  bom  in 
a  stable,  while  Mary  was  journeying ;  to  show  to  you, 
who  are  travellers,  that  you  must  ever  be  born  again  in 
the  stable  of  knowledge  of  yourselves,  where  you  will  find 
Him  born  by  grace  within  your  souls."  ^  The  soul  is  a 
mirror  that  reflects  the  invisible  things  of  God,  and  it  is 
by  purity  of  heart  alone  that  this  mirror  is  made  clear. 
"  Therefore,"  writes  Richard  of  St.  Victor,  "  let  whoso 
thirsts  to  see  his  God,  wipe  his  mirror,  purify  his  spirit. 
After  he  hath  thus  cleared  his  mirror  and  long  diligently 
gazed  into  it,  a  certain  clarity  of  divine  light  begins  to 
shine  through  upon  him,  and  a  certain  immense  ray  of 
unwonted  vision  to  appear  before  his  eyes.  This  light 
irradiated  the  eyes  of  him  who  said  :  Lord,  lift  Thou  up 
the  light  of  Thy  countenance  upon  us  ;  Thou  hast  put  glad- 
ness in  my  heart.  From  the  vision  of  this  light  which  it  sees 
with  wonder  in  itself,  the  mind  is  wondrously  inflamed 
and  inspired  to  behold  the  light  which  is  above  itself."  * 

1  Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  78. 

*  Dialogo,  cap.  151. 

3  Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  72. 


INTRODUCTION  xxvii 

Pepwell's  volume  has  been  made  the  basis  of  the 
present  edition  of  these  seven  treatises ;  but,  in  each 
case,  the  text  has  been  completely  revised.  The  text 
of  the  Benjamin,  the  Epistle  of  Prayer,  the  Epistle  of 
Discretion,  and  the  Treatise  of  Discerning  of  Spirits,  has 
been  collated  with  that  given  by  the  Harleian  MSS.  674 
and  2373  ;  and,  in  most  cases,  the  readings  of  the  manu- 
scripts have  been  adopted  in  preference  to  those  of  the 
printed  version.  The  Katherin  has  been  collated  with 
Caxton's  Lyf ;  the  Margery  Kempe  with  Wynkyn  de 
Worde's  precious  little  volume  in  the  University  Library 
of  Cambridge ;  and  the  Song  of  Angels  with  the  text 
published  by  Professor  Horstman  from  the  Camb.  MS. 
Dd.  V.  55.  As  the  object  of  this  book  is  not  to  offer 
a  Middle  English  text  to  students,  but  a  small  contri- 
bution to  mystical  literature,  the  orthography  has  been 
completely  modernised,  while  I  have  attempted  to  retain 
enough  of  the  original  language  to  preserve  the  flavour  of 
mediaeval  devotion. 

Edmund  G.  Gardner. 


I 


HERE  FOLLOWETH  A  VERY  DEVOUT  TREATISE, 
NAMED  BENJAMIN,  OF  THE  MIGHTS  AND  VIR- 
TUES OF  MAN'S  SOUL,  AND  OF  THE  WAY  TO 
TRUE  CONTEMPLATION,  COMPILED  BY  A 
NOBLE  AND  FAMOUS  DOCTOR,  A  MAN  OF 
GREAT  HOLINESS  AND  DEVOTION,  NAMED 
RICHARD  OF|SAINT  VICTOR 


A   TREATISE   NAMED   BENJAMIN 


THE   PROLOGUE 

A  GREAT  clerk  that  men  call  ^  Richard  of  Saint 
Victor,  in  a  book  that  he  maketh  of  the  study  of 
wisdom,  witnesseth  and  saith  that  two  mights  are  in  a 
man's  soul,  given  of  the  Father  of  Heaven  of  whom  all 
good  cometh.  The  one  is  reason,  the  other  is  affection ; 
through  reason  we  know,  and  through  affection  we  feel 
or  love. 

Of  reason  springeth  right  counsel  and  ghostly  wits ; 
and  of  affection  springeth  holy  desires  and  ordained  ^ 
feelings.  And  right  as  Rachel  and  Leah  were  both  wives 
unto  Jacob,  right  so  man's  soul  through  light  of  knowing 
in  the  reason,  and  sweetness  of  love  in  the  affection,  is 
spoused  unto  God.  By  Jacob  is  understanden  God,  by 
Rachel  is  understanden  reason,  by  Leah  is  understanden 
affection.     Each  of  these  wives,  Rachel  and  Leah,  took 

1  The  MSS.  have  :   "  men  clepen." 

2  So  the  MSS.,  which  agrees  with  the  Latin,  ordinati  affectus 
{^Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  3) ;  Pepwell  has  "ardent  feelings." 

3 


4        THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

to  them  a  maiden ;  Rachel  took  Bilhah,  and  Leah  took 
Zilpah.  Bilhah  was  a  great  j  angler,  and  Zilpah  was  ever 
drunken  and  thirsty.  By  Bilhah  is  understanden  imagina- 
tion, the  which  is  servant  unto  reason,  as  Bilhah  was  to 
Rachel ;  by  Zilpah  is  understanden  sensuality,  the  which 
is  servant  unto  affection,  as  Zilpah  was  to  Leah.  And 
so  much  are  these  maidens  needful  to  their  ladies,  that 
vsdthout  them  all  this  world  might  serve  them  of  nought. 
For  why,  without  imagination  reason  may  not  know, 
and  without  sensuality  affection  may  not  feel.  And  yet 
imagination  cryeth  so  inconveniently  ^  in  the  ears  of  our 
heart  that,  for  ought  that  reason  her  lady  may  do,  yet 
she  may  not  still  her.  And  therefore  it  is  that  oft  times 
when  we  should  pray,  so  many  divers  fantasies  of  idle 
and  evil  thoughts  cry  in  our  hearts,  that  on  no  wise  we 
may  by  our  own  mights  drive  them  away.  And  thus  it  is 
well  proved  that  Bilhah  is  a  foul  j  angler.  And  also  the 
sensuality  is  evermore  so  thirsty,  that  all  that  affection 
her  lady  may  feel,^  may  not  yet  slake  her  thirst.  The 
drink  that  she  desireth  is  the  lust  of  fleshly,  kindly,  and 
worldly  delights,^  of  the  which  the  more  that  she  drinketh 

1  So  Pepwell,  which  accords  with  the  Latin :  cum  tatita  impor- 
tunitate.    The  MSS.  read:  " unconningly,"  i.e.  ignorantly. 

2  So  Harl.  MS.  674  and  Pepwell ;  Had.  MS.  1022,  ed.  Horst- 
man,  reads:  "forthe,"  i.e.  offer.  The  Latin  is:  "  Et  Zelphae 
quidem  sitim  dominae  suae  copia  tanta  omnino  extinguere  non 
potest  "  (Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  6). 

3  The  Latin  has  simply:  "  Vinum  quod  Zelpba  sitit,  gaudium 
est  vohiptatis"  (ibid.). 


THE  WAY    TO    CONTEMPLATION         5 

the  more  she  thirsteth ;  for  why,  for  to  fill  the  appetite 
of  the  sensuality,  all  this  world  may  not  suffice  ;  and 
therefore  it  is  that  oft  times  when  we  pray  or  think  on 
God  and  ghostly  things,  we  would  fain  feel  sweetness  of 
love  in  our  affection,^  and  yet  we  may  not,  for  are  we  so 
busy  to  feed  the  concupiscence  of  our  sensuality ;  for 
evermore  it  is  greedily  asking,  and  we  have  a  fleshly 
compassion  thereof.  And  thus  it  is  well  proved  that 
Zilpah  is  evermore  drunken  and  thirsty.  And  right  as 
Leah  conceived  of  Jacob  and  brought  forth  seven  children, 
and  Rachel  conceived  of  Jacob  and  brought  forth  two 
children,  and  Bilhah  conceived  of  Jacob  and  brought 
forth  two  children,  and  Zilpah  conceived  of  Jacob  and 
brought  forth  two  children ;  right  so  the  affection  con- 
ceiveth  through  the  grace  of  God,  and  bringeth  forth 
seven  virtues ;  and  also  the  sensuaUty  conceiveth  through 
the  grace  of  God,  and  bringeth  forth  two  virtues ;  and 
also  the  reason  conceiveth  through  the  grace  of  God,  and 
bringeth  forth  two  virtues ;  and  also  the  imagination 
conceiveth  through  the  grace  of  God,  and  bringeth  forth 
two  virtues,  or  two  beholdings.  And  the  names  of  their 
children  and  of  their  virtues  shall  be  known  by  this  figure 
that  followeth  : 

Husband  :   Jacob  temporally,  God  spiritually.     Wives 
to  Jacob  :  Leah,  that  is  to  say,  Affection  ;  Rachel,  that  is 
to  say.  Reason.     Maid  to  Leah  is  Zilpah,  that  is  to  under- 
1  Harl.  MS,  1022,  ed.  Horstman,  reads  :  "  in  our  soul." 


6         THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

stand,  Sensuality ;  and  Bilhah  maiden  to  Rachel,  that  is 
to  understand,  Imagination. 

The  sons  of  Jacob  and  Leah  are  these  seven  that 
followeth  :  Reuben  signifieth  dread  of  pain ;  Simeon, 
sorrow  of  sins ;  Levi,  hope  of  forgiveness  ;  Judah,  love  of 
righteousness ;  Issachar,  joy  in  inward  sweetness  ;  Zebu- 
lun,  hatred  of  sin  ;  Dinah,  ordained  shame. 

The  sons  of  Jacob  and  Zilpah,  servant  of  Leah,  are 
these  :   Gad,  abstinence  ;  Asher,  patience. 

The  sons  of  Jacob  and  of  Rachel  are  these  :  Joseph, 
discretion ;   Benjamin,  contemplation. 

The  sons  of  Jacob  and  Bilhah,  servant  to  Rachel,  are 
these  :  Dan,  sight  of  pain  to  come  ;  and  Naphtali,  sight 
of  joy  to  come. 

In  this  figure  it  is  shewed  apertly  of  Jacob  and  of  his 
wives,  and  their  maidens,  and  all  their  children.  Here 
it  is  to  shew  on  what  manner  they  were  gotten,  and  in 
what  order  : — 

First,  it  is  to  say  of  the  children  of  Leah  ;  for  why,  it 
is  read  that  she  first  conceived.  The  children  of  Leah 
are  nought  else  to  understand  but  ordained  affections  or 
feelings  in  a  man's  soul ;  for  why,  if  they  were  unor- 
dained,  then  were  they  not  the  sons  of  Jacob.  Also  the 
seven  children  of  Leah  are  seven  virtues,  for  virtue  is 
nought  else  but  an  ordained  and  a  measured  feeling  in 
a  man's  soul.  For  then  is  man's  feeling  in  soul  ordained 
when  it  is  of  that  thing  that  it  should  be ;  then  it  is 


THE   WAY   TO  CONTEMPLATION  7 

measured  when  it  is  so  much  as  it  should  be.  These 
feelings  in  a  man's  soul  may  be  now  ordained  and  mea- 
sured, and  now  unordained  and  unmeasured  ;  but  when 
they  are  ordained  and  measured,  then  are  they  accounted 
among  the  sons  of  Jacob.^ 

CAPITULUM    I 

HOW  THE   VIRTUE   OF   DREAD    RISETH   IN   THE   AFFECTION 

The  first  child  that  Leah  conceived  of  Jacob  was  Reuben, 
that  is,  dread  ;  and  therefore  it  is  written  in  the  psalm  : 
"  The  beginning  of  wisdom  is  the  dread  of  our  Lord 
God."  2  This  is  the  first  felt  virtue  in  a  man's  affection, 
without  the  which  none  other  may  be  had.  And,  there- 
fore, whoso  desire th  to  have  such  a  son,  him  behove th 
busily  and  oft  also  behold  the  evil  that  he  hath  done. 
And  he  shall,  on  the  one  party,  think  on  the  greatness 
of  his  trespass,  and,  on  another  party,  the  power  of  the 
Doomsman.^  Of  such  a  consideration  springeth  dread, 
that  is  to  say  Reuben,  that  through  right  is  cleped  "  the 
son  of  sight."  *  For  utterly  is  he  blind  that  seeth  not  the 
pains  that  are  to  come,  and  dreadeth  not  to  sin.     And 

1  Pepwell  gives  the  modern  equivalent,  "ordinate'    and  "in- 
ordinate," for  "ordained"  and  "  unordained,"  throughout. 

2  Ps.  cxi.  10  (Vulgate  ex.). 

3  Pepwell  adds :  "  and  high  Judge. " 
*  Filius  vinonis. 


8        THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

well  is  Reuben  cleped  the  son  of  sight ;  for  when  he  was 
born,  his  mother  cried  and  said  :  "  God  hath  seen  my 
meekness."  ^  And  man's  soul,  in  such  a  consideration  of 
his  old  sins  and  of  the  power  of  the  Doomsman,  beginneth 
then  truly  to  see  God  by  feeling  of  dread,  and  also  to  be 
seen  of  God  by  rewarding  of  pity. 


CAPITULUM   II 

HOW  SORROW   RISETH    IN   THE  AFFECTION 

While  Reuben  waxeth,  Simeon  is  bom ;  for  after  dread 
it  needeth  greatly  that  sorrow  come  soon.  For  ever  the 
more  that  a  man  dreadeth  the  pain  that  he  hath  de- 
served, the  bitterlier  he  sorroweth  the  sins  that  he  hath 
done.  Leah  in  the  birth  of  Simeon  cried  and  said  : 
"  Our  Lord  hath  heard  me  be  had  in  despite."  ^  And 
therefore  is  Simeon  cleped  "  hearing  "  ; '  for  when  a  man 
bitterly  sorroweth  and  despiseth  his  old  sins,  then  be- 
ginneth he  to  be  heard  of  God,  and  also  for  to  hear  the 
blessed  sentence  of  God's  own  mouth  :  "  Blessed  be  they 
that  sorrow,  for  they  shall  be  comforted."  *  For  in  what 
hour  the  sinner  sorroweth  and  turneth  from  his  sin,  he 
shall  be  safe.^    Thus  witnesseth  holy  Scripture.    And 

1  Gen.  xxix.  32  ( Vidit  Dominus  humilitaUm  meam,  Vulgate). 

2  Gen.  xxix.  33.  »  Bxauditio. 

*  Matt.  V.  4.  «  Ezek.  xxxiii.  14. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION  9 

also  by  Reuben  he  is  meeked,^  and  by  Simeon  he  is  contrite 
and  hath  compunction  of  tears  ;  but,  as  witnesseth  David 
in  the  psalm  :  "  Heart  contrite  and  meeked  God  shall  not 
despise  "  ;  ^  and  without  doubt  such  sorrow  bringeth  in 
true  comfort  of  heart. 


CAPITULUM    HI 

HOW   HOPE   RISETH    IN    THE   AFFECTION 

But,  I  pray  thee,  what  comfort  may  be  to  them  that  truly 
dread  and  bitterly  sorrow  for  their  old  sins,  ought  but  a 
true  hope  of  forgiveness  ?  the  which  is  the  third  son  of 
Jacob,  that  is  Levi,  the  which  is  cleped  in  the  story  "  a 
doing  to."  ^  For  when  the  other  two  children,  dread 
and  sorrow,  are  given  of  God  to  a  man's  soul,  without 
doubt  he  this  third,  that  is  hope,  shall  not  be  delayed, 
but  he  shall  be  done  to  ;  *  as  the  story  witnesseth  of  Levi, 
that,  when  his  two  brethren,  Reuben  and  [Simeon,  were 
given  to  their  mother  Leah,  he,  this  Levi,  was  done  to. 
Take  heed  of  this  word,  that  he  was  "  done  to  "  and  not 
given.  And  therefore  it  is  said  that  a  man  shall  not 
presume  of  hope  of  forgiveness  before  the  time  that  his 
heart  be  meeked  in  dread  and  contrite  in  sorrow ;  with- 
out these  two,  hope  is  presumption,  and  where  these  two 

1  Made  humble.  2  Ps.  li.  17  (Vulgate  1,). 

3  Additus,  vel  Additio.  <  Added.     Cf.  Gen.  xxix.  34. 


10      THE  CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

are,  hope  is  done  to  ;  and  thus  after  sorrow  cometh  soon 
comfort,  as  David  telleth  in  the  psalm  that  "  after  the 
muchness  of  my  sorrow  in  my  heart,"  he  saith  to  our 
Lord,  "  Thy  comforts  have  gladded  my  soul."  ^  And 
therefore  it  is  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  called  ParacletuSy 
that  is,  comforter,  for  oft  times  he  vouchethsafe  to  com- 
fort a  sorrowful  soul. 


CAPITULUM    IV 

HOW   LOVE   RISETH    IN    THE  AFFECTION 

From  now  forth  beginneth  a  manner  of  homeliness  for 
to  grow  between  God  and  a  man's  soul ;  and  also  on  a 
manner  a  kindling  of  love,  in  so  much  that  oft  times  he 
feeleth  him  not  only  be  visited  of  God  and  comforted  in 
His  coming,  but  oft  times  also  he  feeleth  him  filled  with 
an  unspeakable  joy.  This  homeliness  and  this  kindling 
of  love  first  felt  Leah,  when,  after  that  Levi  was  born,  she 
cried  with  a  great  voice  and  said  :  "  Now  shall  my  husband 
be  coupled  to  me."  ^  The  true  spouse  of  our  soul  is 
God,  and  then  are  we  truly  coupled  unto  Him,  when  we 
draw  near  Him  by  hope  and  soothfast  love.  And  right  as 
after  hope  cometh  love,  so  after  Levi  was  Judah  born,  the 
fourth  son  of  Leah.    Leah  in  his  birth  cried  and  said  : 

1  Ps.  xciv.  19  (Vulgate  xciii).  ^  Gen.  xziz.  34. 


THE   WAY    TO    CONTEMPLATION         n 

"  Now  shall  I  shrive  to  our  Lord."  ^  And  therefore  in 
the  story  is  Judah  cleped  "  Shrift."  ^  Also  man's  soul  in 
this  degree  of  love  offereth  it  clearly  to  God,  and  saith 
thus  :  "  Now  shall  I  shrive  to  our  Lord."  For  before 
this  feeling  of  love  in  a  man's  soul,  all  that  he  doth  is 
done  more  for  dread  than  for  love  ;  but  in  this  state  a 
man's  soul  feeleth  God  so  sweet,  so  merciful,  so  good,  so 
courteous,  so  true,  and  so  kind,  so  faithful,  so  lovely  and 
so  homely,  that  he  leaveth  nothing  in  him — might,  wit, 
conning,^  or  will — that  he  offereth  not  it  clearly,  freely, 
and  homely  unto  Him.  This  shrift  is  not  only  of  sin, 
but  of  the  goodness  of  God.  Great  token  of  love  it  is 
when  a  man  telleth  to  God  that  He  is  good.  Of  this 
shrift  speaketh  David  full  oft  times  in  the  psalter,  when 
he  saith  :  "  Make  it  known  to  God,  for  He  is  good."  * 

Lo,  now  have  we  said  of  four  sons  of  Leah.  And  after 
this  she  left  bearing  of  children  till  another  time ;  and 
so  man's  soul  weeneth  that  it  sufficeth  to  it  when  it 
feeleth  that  it  loveth  the  true  goods.^  And  so  it  is 
enough  to  salvation,  but  not  to  perfection.  For  it 
falleth  to  a  perfect  soul  both  to  be  inflamed  with  the  fire 
of  love  in  the  aflFection,  and  also  to  be  illumined  with  the 
light  of  knowing  in  the  reason. 

1  Gen.  xxix.  35  (Vulgate) :  Modo  conjiteior  Domino. 

-  Confitens. 

3  Learning. 

^  Ps.  cvi.  I,  cvii.  I  (cv. ,  cvi. ,  Vulgate). 

'^  Pepwell  reads  :  "  the  true  goodness  of  God." 


12       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 


CAPITULUM   V 

HOW   THE   DOUBLE   SIGHT   OF   PAIN    AND   JOY   RISETH 
IN   THE   IMAGINATION 

Then  when  Judah  waxeth,  that  is  to  say,  when  love  and 
desire  of  unseen  true  goods  is  rising  and  waxing  in  a 
man's  affection ;  then  coveteth  Rachel  for  to  bear  some 
children ;  that  is  to  say,  then  coveteth  reason  to  know 
these  things  that  affection  feeleth  ;  for  as  it  falleth  to  the 
affection  for  to  love,  so  it  falleth  to  the  reason  for  to 
know.  Of  affection  springeth  ordained  and  measured 
feelings ;  and  of  reason  springeth  right  knowings  ^  and 
clear  understandings.  And  ever  the  more  that  Judah 
waxeth,  that  is  to  say  love,  so  much  the  more  desireth 
Rachel  bearing  of  children,  that  is  to  say,  reason  studieth 
after  knowing.  But  who  is  he  that  woteth  not  how 
hard  it  is,  and  nearhand  impossible  to  a  fleshly  soul  the 
which  is  yet  rude  in  ghostly  studies,  for  to  rise  in  knowing 
of  unseeable  ^  things,  and  for  to  set  the  eye  of  contem- 
plation in  ghostly  things  ?  For  why,  a  soul  that  is  yet 
rude  and  fleshly,  knoweth  nought  but  bodily  things,  and 
nothing  cometh  yet  to  the  mind  but  only  seeable  ^  things. 

1  Pepwell  reads :  "conning." 

2  Latin  Invisibilium:  Pepwell  has  "  unseasable." 

3  Pepwell  has  "  feble." 


THE   WAY    TO    CONTEMPLATION        13 

And,  nevertheless,  yet  it  looketh  inward  as  it  may  ;  and 
that  that  it  may  not  see  yet  clearly  by  ghostly  knowing, 
it  thinketh  by  imagination. 

And  this  is  the  cause  why  Rachel  had  first  children  of 
her  maiden  than  of  herself.  And  so  it  is  that,  though  all 
a  man's  soul  may  not  yet  get  the  light  of  ghostly  knowing 
in  the  reason,  yet  it  thinketh  it  sweet  to  hold  the  mind 
on  God  and  ghostly  things  in  the  imagination.  As  by 
Rachel  we  understand  reason,  so  by  her  maiden  Bilhah  we 
understand  imagination.  And,  therefore,  reason  sheweth 
that  it  is  more  profitable  for  to  think  on  ghostly  things, 
in  what  manner  so  it  be  ;  yea,  if  it  be  in  kindling  of  our 
desire  with  some  fair  imagination ;  than  it  is  for  to  think 
on  vanities  and  deceivable  things  of  this  world.  And, 
therefore,  of  Bilhah  were  born  these  two  :  Dan  and 
Naphtali.  Dan  is  to  say  sight  of  pains  to  come ;  and 
Naphtali,  sight  of  joys  to  come.  These  two  children  are 
full  needful  and  full  speedful  unto  a  working  soul ;  the 
one  for  to  put  down  evil  suggestions  of  sins  ;  and  the 
other  for  to  raise  up  our  wills  in  working  of  good  and  in 
kindling  of  our  desires.  For  as  it  falleth  to  Dan  to  put 
down  evil  suggestions  of  sin  by  sight  of  pains  to  come, 
so  it  falleth  to  the  other  brother  Naphtali  to  raise  up  our 
wills  in  working  of  good,  and  in  kindling  of  holy  desires 
by  sight  of  joys  to  come.  And  therefore  holy  men,  when 
they  are  stirred  to  any  unlawful  thing,  by  inrising  of  any 
fouKthought,''as  oft  they  set  before  their  mind  the  pains 


14       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

that  are  to  come  ;  and  so  they  slaken  their  temptation 
in  the  beginning,  ere  it  rise  to  any  foul  delight  in  their 
soul.  And  as  oft  as  their  devotion  and  their  liking  in 
God  and  ghostly  things  cease  and  wax  cold  (as  oft  times 
it  befalleth  in  this  life,  for  corruption  of  the  flesh  and 
many  other  skills),^  so  oft  they  set  before  their  mind  the 
joy  that  is  to  come.  And  so  they  kindle  their  will  with 
holy  desires,  and  destroy  their  temptation  in  the  begin- 
ning, ere  it  come  to  any  weariness  or  heaviness  of  sloth. 
And  for  that  ^  with  Dan  we  damn  unlawful  thoughts, 
therefore  he  is  well  cleped  in  the  story  "  Doom."  ^  And 
also  his  father  Jacob  said  of  him  thus  :  "  Dan  shall  deem 
his  folk."  *  And  also  it  is  said  in  the  story  that,  when 
Bilhah  brought  forth  Dan,  Rachel  said  thus :  '*  Our  Lord 
hath  deemed  me  " ;  ^  that  is  to  say  :  "  Our  Lord  hath 
evened  me  unto  my  sister  Leah."  And  thus  saith  reason, 
when  the  imagination  hath  gotten  the  sight  of  pains  to 
come,  that  our  Lord  hath  evened  her  with  her  sister 
affection ;  and  she  saith  thus,  for  she  hath  the  sight  of 
pains  to  come  in  her  imagination,  of  the  which  she  had 
dread  and  sorrow  in  her  feeling.  And  then  after  came 
Naphtali,  that  is  to  say,  the  sight  of  joys  to  come.  And 
in  his  birth  spake  Rachel  and  said  :  "  I  am  made  like  to 

1  Reasons.  2  Because. 

8  Judicium  (Pepwell  adds :  "  or  judgment "). 
^  Gen.  xlix.  16 :  "  Dan  shall  judge  his  people." 
"  Gen.  XXX.  6. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION         15 

my  sister  Leah  "  ;  ^  and  therefore  is  Naphtali  cleped  in 
the  story  "  Likeness."  ^  And  thus  saith  reason  that  she 
is  made  like  to  her  sister  affection.  For  there  as  she  had 
gotten  hope  and  love  of  joy  to  come  in  her  feeling,  she 
hath  now  gotten  sight  of  joy  to  come  in  her  imagination. 
Jacob  said  of  Naphtali  that  he  was  "  a  hart  sent  out, 
giving  speeches  of  fairhead."  ^  So  it  is  that,  when  we 
imagine  of  the  joys  of  heaven,  we  say  that  it  is  fair  in 
heaven.  For  ^  wonderfully  kindleth  Naphtali  our  souls 
with  holy  desires,  as  oft  as  we  imagine  of  the  worthiness 
and  the  fairhead  of  the  joys  of  heaven. 


CAPITULUM   VI 

HOW   THE   VIRTUES   OF   ABSTINENCE   AND    PATIENCE 
RISE    IN    THE   SENSUALITY 

When  Leah  saw  that  Rachel  her  sister  made  great  joy 
of  these  two  bastards  born  of  Bilhah  her  maiden,  she 
called  forth  her  maiden  Zilpah,  to  put  to  her  husband 
Jacob  ;   that  she  might  make  joy  with  her  sister,  having 

1  Gen.  XXX.  8 :  "  Comparavit  me  Deus  cum  sorore  mea,  et 
invalui"  (Vulgate). 

2  In  the  Latin,  "  Comparaiio  vel  conversio." 

3  Gen.  xlix.  21 :  "  Naphtali  is  a  hind  let  loose  ;  he  giveth  goodly 
words"  (Nephthali  cervus  emissus,  et  dans  eloquia pulchritudinis, 
Vulgate). 

^  Harl.  MS.  1022,  ed.  Horstman,  reads:  "full." 


i6      THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

other  two  bastards  gotten  of  her  maiden  Zilpah.  And 
thus  it  is  seemly  in  man's  soul  for  to  be,  that  from  the 
time  that  reason  hath  refrained  the  great  jangling  of 
imagination,  and  hath  put  her  to  be  underlout  ^  to  God, 
and  maketh  her  to  bear  some  fruit  in  helping  of  her 
knowing,  that  right  so  the  affection  refrain  the  lust  and 
the  thirst  of  the  sensuality,  and  make  her  to  be  underlout 
to  God,  and  so  to  bear  some  fruit  in  helping  of  her  feeling. 
But  what  fruit  may  she  bear,  ought  but  that  she  learn  to 
live  temperately  in  easy  things,  and  patiently  in  uneasy 
things  ?  These  are  they,  the  children  of  Zilpah,  Gad  and 
Asher  :  Gad  is  abstinence,  and  Asher  is  patience.  Gad 
is  the  sooner  born  child,  and  Asher  the  latter ;  for  first 
it  needeth  that  we  be  attempered  in  ourself  with  discreet 
abstinence,  and  after  that  we  bear  outward  disease  ^  in 
strength  of  patience.  These  are  the  children  that 
Zilpah  brought  forth  in  sorrow ;  for  in  abstinence  and 
patience  the  sensuality  is  punished  in  the  flesh  ;  but  that 
that  is  sorrow  to  the  sensuality  turneth  to  much  comfort 
and  bUss  to  the  affection.  And  therefore  it  is  that, 
when  Gad  was  born,  Leah  cried  and  said :  *'  Happily  "  ' ; 
and  therefore  Gad  is  cleped  in  the  story  "  Happiness," 

1  Underloute,  participle  oi  UnderluUn  (O.E.  Underliitan),  "to 
stoop  beneath,"  or  "submit  to."  Cf.  Wycliffe's  Bible,  Gen.  xxxvii. 
8:  "Whether  thow  shall  be  oure  kyng,  oither  we  shal  be  undir- 
loute  to  thi  bidding  ?  " 

2  Discomfort. 

■•*  Dixit :  Feliciter.    Gen.  xxx.  n  (Vulgate). 


THE  WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION        17 

or  "  Seeliness."  ^    And  so  it  is  well  said  that  abstinence 
in  the  sensuality  is  happiness  ^  in  the  affection.     For  why, 
ever  the  less  that  the  sensuality  is  delighted  in  her  lust, 
the  more  sweetness  feeleth  the  affection  in  her  love. 
Also  after  when  Asher  was  born,  Leah  said  :  "  This  shall 
be  for  my  bliss  "  ;  ^  and  therefore  was  Asher  called  in  the 
story  "  Blessed."  *     And  so  it  is  well  said  that  patience 
in  the  sensuality  is  bliss  in  the  affection.     For  why,  ever 
the  more  disease  that  the  sensuality  suffereth,  the  more 
blessed  is  the  soul  in  the  affection.     And  thus  by  absti- 
nence  and  patience  we   shall   not  only   understand   a 
temperance  in  meat  and  drink,  and  suffering  of  outward 
tribulation,  but  also  [in]  all  manner  of  fleshly,  kindly,^ 
and  worldly  delights,  and  all  manner  of  disease,  bodily 
and  ghostly,  within  or  without,  reasonable  or  unreason- 
able, that  by  any  of  our  five  wits  torment  or  delight  the 
sensuality.     On  this  wise  beareth  the  sensuality  fruit  in 
help  of  affection,  her  lady.     Much  peace  and  rest  is  in 
that  soul  that  neither  is  drunken  in  the  lust  of  the  sen- 
suality, nor  grutcheth  ®  in  the  pain  thereof.     The  first  of 

1  Felicitas.     Harl.  MS.  674  adds:  "  whether  thou  wilt." 

2  The  MSS.  have:  " selyness." 

3  Gen.  XXX.  13  (Vulgate) :  Hoc  fro  beatitudine  mea. 

4  Beaius.  ^  Natural. 

5  Murmurs,  complains.  Cf.  Chaucer,  The  Persones  Tale,  ed. 
Skeat,  §  30:  "  After  bakbyting  Cometh  grucching  or  murmuracion ; 
and  somtyme  it  springeth  of  impacience  agayns  God,  and  somtyme 
agayns  man.    Agayns  God  it  is,  whan  a  man  gruccheth  agayn  the 

B 


18       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

these  is  gotten  by  Gad  and  the  latter  by  Asher.  Here 
it  is  to  wete  that  first  was  Rachel's  maiden  put  to  the 
husband  or  the  maiden  of  Leah ;  and  this  is  the  skill 
why.  For  truly,  but  if  the  jangling  of  the  imagination, 
that  is  to  say,  the  in-running  of  vain  thoughts,  be  first 
refrained,  without  doubt  the  lust  of  the  sensuality  may 
not  be  attempered.  And  therefore  who  so  will  abstain 
him  from  fleshly  and  worldly  lusts,  him  behoveth  first 
seldom  or  never  think  any  vain  thoughts.^  And  also 
never  in  this  life  may  a  man  perfectly  despise  the  ease  of 
the  flesh,  and  not  dread  the  disease,  but  if  he  have  before 
busily  beholden  the  meeds  and  the  torments  that  are  to 
come.  But  here  it  is  to  wete  how  that,  with  these  four 
sons  of  these  two  maidens,  the  city  of  our  conscience  is 
kept  wonderfully  from  all  temptations.  For  aU  tempta- 
tion either  it  riseth  within  by  thought,  or  else  without  by 
some  of  our  five  wits.  But  within  shall  Dan  deem  and 
damn  evil  thoughts  by  sight  of  pain  ;  and  without  shall 
Gad  put  against  ^  false  delights  by  use  of  abstinence. 
Dan  waketh  ^  within,  and  Gad  without ;  and  also  their 
other  two  brethren  helpen  them  full  much  :  Naphtali 
maketh  peace  within  with  Dan,  and  Asher  biddeth  Gad 
have  no  dread  of  his  enemies.     Dan  feareth  the  heart 

peynes  of  belle,  or  agayns  poverte,  or  los  of  catel,  or  agayn  reyn 
or  tempest ;  or  elles  gruccheth  that  shrewes  ban  prosperitee,  or 
alias  for  that  goode  men  ban  adversitee." 

1  Pepwelladds:  "  at  the  least  willingly." 

2  Pepwell reads :  "put  down."  ^  Watches. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION         19 

with  ugsomeness  of  hell,  and  Naphtali  cherisheth  it  with 
behighting  ^  of  heavenly  bliss.  Also  Asher  helpeth  his 
brother  without,  so  that,  through  them  both,  the  wall  of 
the  city  is  not  broken.  Gad  holdeth  out  ease,  and  Asher 
pursueth  disease.  Asher  soon  deceiveth  his  enemy,  when 
he  bringeth  to  mind  the  patience  of  his  father  ^  and  the 
behighting  of  Naphtali,  and  thus  oft  times  ever  the  more 
enemies  he  hath,  the  more  matter  he  hath  of  overcoming. 
And  therefore  it  is  that,  when  he  hath  overcome  his 
enemies  (that  is  to  say,  the  adversities  of  this  world), 
soon  he  turneth  him  to  his  brother  Gad  to  help  to  destroy 
his  enemies.  And  without  fail,  from  that  he  be  come, 
soon  they  turn  the  back,  and  flee.  The  enemies  of  Gad 
are  fleshly  delights  ;  but  truly,  from  the  time  that  a  man 
have  patience  in  the  pain  of  his  abstinence,  false  delights 
find  no  woning  stead  ^  in  him. 

CAPITULUM   VII 

HOW  JOY  OF   INWARD  SWEETNESS  RISETH  IN  THE  AFFECTION 

Thus  when  the  enemy  fleeth  and  the  city  is  peased,*  then 
beginneth  a  man  to  prove  what  the  high  peace  of  God  is 

1  Promises.     'La.tin  :  fovet  promissis. 

2  A  curious  mistranslation :  "  Sed  Aser  hosti  suo  facile  illudit, 
dum  partem  quam  tuetur,  a!ta  patientiae  rupe  munitam  conspicit" 
[Benjamin  Minor,  cap.  33).  3  Dwelling-place. 

4  Pacified.  Harl.  MS.  1022,  ed.  Horstman,  reads:  "the  cite 
of  conscience  is  made  pesebule." 


20       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

that  passeth  man's  wit.  And  therefore  it  is  that  Leah 
left  bearing  of  children  unto  this  time  that  Gad  and 
Asher  were  born  of  Zilpah,  her  maiden.  For  truly,  but 
if  it  be  so  that  a  man  have  refrained  the  lust  and  the  pain 
of  his  five  wits  in  his  sensuality  by  abstinence  and  patience, 
he  shall  never  feel  inward  sweetness  and  true  joy  in  God 
and  ghostly  things  in  the  affection.  This  is  that  Issachar, 
the  fifth  son  of  Leah,  the  which  in  the  story  is  cleped 
"  Meed."  ^  [And  weU  is  this  joy  of  inward  sweetness 
cleped  "  meed  "]  ;  ^  for  this  joy  is  the  taste  of  heavenly 
bliss,  the  which  is  the  endless  meed  of  a  devout  soul, 
beginning  here.  Leah,  in  the  birth  of  this  child,  said : 
"  God  hath  given  me  meed,  for  that  I  have  given  my 
maiden  to  my  husband  in  bearing  of  children."  ^  And 
so  it  is  good  that  we  make  our  sensuality  bear  fruit  in 
abstaining  it  from  all  manner  of  fleshly,  kindly,  and 
worldly  delight,  and  in  fruitful  suffering  of  all  fleshly 
and  worldly  disease ;  therefore  our  Lord  of  His  great 
mercy  giveth  us  joy  unspeakable  and  inward  sweetness  in 
our  affection,  in  earnest  *  of  the  sovereign  joy  and  meed 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Jacob  said  of  Issachar  that 
he  was  "  a  strong  ass  dwelling  between  the  terms."  ^ 

1  Merces. 

2  So  Harl.  MS.  674  ;  omitted  in  Harl.  MS.  1022  and  by  Pepwell. 

3  Gen.  XXX.  18. 

4  The  MSS.  read  :  "  erles." 

■>  Gen.  xlix.  14 :  "  Issachar  asinus  fortis  accubans  inter  terminos" 
(Vulgate). 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION        21 

And  so  it  is  that  a  man  in  this  state,  and  that  feeleth  the 
earnest  of  everlasting  joy  in  his  affection,  is  as  "  an  ass, 
strong  and  dwelHng  between  the  terms  "  ;  because  that, 
be  he  never  so  filled  in  soul  of  ghostly  gladness  and  joy  in 
God,  yet,  for  corruption  of  the  flesh  in  this  deadly  life,  him 
behoveth  bear  the  charge  of  the  deadly  body,  as  hunger, 
thirst,  and  cold,  sleep,  and  many  other  diseases ;  for  the 
which  he  is  likened  to  an  ass  as  in  body  ;  but  as  in  soul  he 
is  strong  for  to  destroy  all  the  passions  and  the  lusts  of 
the  flesh  by  patience  and  abstinence  in  the  sensuality, 
and  by  abundance  of  ghostly  joy  and  sweetness  in  the 
affection.  And  also  a  soul  in  this  state  is  dwelling  be- 
tween the  terms  of  deadly  life  and  undeadly  life.  He 
that  dwelleth  between  the  terms  hath  nearhand  forsaken 
deadliness,  but  not  fully,  and  hath  nearhand  gotten  un- 
deadliness,  but  not  fully ;  for  whiles  that  him  needeth 
the  goods  of  this  world,  as  meat  and  drink  and  clothing, 
as  it  falleth  to  each  man  that  liveth,  yet  his  one  foot  is  in 
this  deadly  life  ;  and  for  great  abundance  of  ghostly  joy 
and  sweetness  that  he  feeleth  in  God,  not  seldom  but  oft, 
he  hath  his  other  foot  in  the  undeadly  life.  Thus  I  trow 
that  saint  Paul  felt,  when  he  said  this  word  of  great 
desire  :  "  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  this  deadly  body  ?  "  ^ 
And  when  he  said  thus :  "  I  covet  to  be  loosed  and  to  be 
with  Christ."  ^  And  thus  doth  the  soul  that  feeleth 
Issachar  in  his  affection,  that  is  to  say,  the  joy  of  inward 
1  Rom.  vii.  24.  2  phil.  i.  23. 


22       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

sweetness,  the  which  is  understanden  by  Issachar.  It 
enforceth  it  to  forsake  this  wretched  life,  but  it  may  not ; 
it  coveteth  to  enter  the  blessed  life,  but  it  may  not ;  it 
doth  that  it  may,  and  yet  it  dwelleth  between  th^  terms. 


CAPITULUM   VIII 

HOW   PERFECT   HATRED    OF   SIN    RISETH    IN    THE 
AFFECTION 

And  therefore  it  is  that  after  Issachar  Zebulun  is  born, 
that  is  to  say,  hatred  of  sin.  And  here  it  is  to  wete  why 
that  hatred  of  sin  is  never  perfectly  felt  in  a  man's  affec- 
tion, ere  the  time  that  ghostly  joy  of  inward  sweetness 
be  felt  in  the  affection,  and  this  is  the  skill :  for  ere  this 
time  was  never  the  true  cause  of  hatred  felt  in  the  affec- 
tion. For  the  feeling  of  ghostly  joy  teacheth  a  man 
what  sin  harmeth  the  soul.  And  all  after  that  the  harm 
in  the  soul  is  felt  much  or  little,  thereafter  is  the  hatred 
measured,  more  or  less,  unto  the  harming.  But  when  a 
soul,  by  the  grace  of  God  and  long  travail,  is  come  to 
feeling  of  ghostly  joy  in  God,  then  it  feeleth  that  sin 
hath  been  the  cause  of  the  delaying  thereof.  And  also 
when  he  feeleth  that  he  may  not  alway  last  in  the  feeling 
of  that  ghostly  joy,  for  the  corruption  of  the  flesh,  of  the 
which  corruption  sin  is  the  cause  ;  then  he  riseth  with  a 
strong  feeling  of  hatred  against  all  sin  and  all  kind  of  sin. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION        23 

This  feeling  taught  David  us  to  have,  where  he  saith  in 
the  psalm  :  "  Be  ye  wroth  and  will  ye  not  sin  "  ;  ^  that  is 
thus  to  mean  :  Be  ye  wroth  with  the  sin,  but  not  with 
the  kind.^  For  kind  stirreth  to  the  deed,  but  not  to  sin. 
And  here  it  is  to  wete  that  this  wrath  and  this  hatred  is 
not  contrary  to  charity,  but  charity  teacheth  how  it  shall 
be  had  both  in  a  man's  self  and  in  his  even  Christian ;  ^ 
for  a  man  should  [not]  hate  sin  [so  that  he  destroy  his 
kind,  but  so  that  he  destroy  the  sin  and  the  appetite  of 
sin]  in  his  kind.  And,  as  against  our  even  Christian,  we 
ought  to  hate  sin  in  him,  and  to  love  him  ;  and  of  this 
hatred  speaketh  David  in  the  psalm,  where  he  saith  thus  : 
"  With  perfect  hatred  I  hated  them."  ^  And  in  another 
psalm  he  saith  that  "  he  had  in  hatred  all  wicked  ways."  ^ 
Thus  it  is  well  proved  that,  ere  Zebulun  was  born,  Judah 
and  Issachar  were  both  born.  For  but  if  a  man  have  had 
charity  and  ghostly  joy  in  his  feeling  first,  he  may  in  no 
wise  feel  this  perfect  hatred  of  sin  in  his  affection.  For 
Judah,  that  is  to  say,  charity,  teacheth  us  how  we  shall 
hate  sin  in  ourself  and  in  our  brethren ;  and  Issachar, 
that  is  to  say,  ghostly  feeling  of  joy  in  God,  teacheth  us 

1  Ps,  iv.  5.     Harl.  MS.  674  has:  "  Wraththes  afid  willetk  not 
synne,  or  thus  :  Beeth  wrothe  and  synnith  not." 

2  Human  nature  in  our  fellow-man. 

3  Fellow-Christian.     The  words  in  square  brackets  are  omitted 
in  Harl.  MS.  674. 

•*  Ps.  cxxxix.  (Vulgate  cxxxviii.)  21. 
5  Ps.  cxix.  (Vulgate  cxviii.)  104. 


24       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

why  we  shall  hate  sin  in  ourself  and  in  our  brethren. 
Judah  biddeth  us  hate  sin  and  love  the  kind  ;  and  Issachar 
biddeth  us  destroy  the  sin  and  save  the  kind ;  and  thus 
it  falleth  for  to  be  that  the  kind  may  be  made  strong  in 
God  and  in  ghostly  things  by  perfect  hatred  and  destroy- 
ing of  sin.  And  therefore  is  Zebulun  cleped  in  the  story 
"  a  dwelling  stead  of  strength."  ^  And  Leah  said  in  his 
birth  :  "  My  husband  shall  now  dwell  with  me  "  ;  ^  and 
so  it  is  that  God,  that  is  the  true  husband  of  our  soul,  is 
dwelling  in  that  soul,  strengthening  it  in  the  affection 
with  ghostly  joy  and  sweetness  in  His  love,  that  travaileth 
busily  to  destroy  sin  in  himself  and  in  others  by  perfect 
hatred  of  the  sin  and  all  the  kind  of  sin.  And  thus  it  is 
said  how  Zebulun  is  born. 


CAPITULUM    IX 

HOW    ORDAINED    SHAME   RISETH    AND    GROWETH    IN 
THE   AFFECTION 

But  though  all  that  a  soul  through  grace  feel  in  it  per- 
fect hatred  of  sin,  whether  it  may  yet  live  without  sin  ? 
Nay,  sikerly ; '  and  therefore  let  no  man  presume  of 
himself,  when  the  Apostle  saith  thus :  "  If  we  say  that  we 

1  Habitaculumfortitudinis,  2  Gen.  xxx.  20. 

3  Assuredly.     Pepwell  sometimes  modernises  this  word,  but  not 
invariably. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION        25 

have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourself,  and  soothfastness  is  not 
in  us."  1  And  also  saint  Austin  saith  that  he  dare  well 
say  that  there  is  no  man  living  without  sin.^  And  I  pray 
thee,  who  is  he  that  sinneth  not  in  ignorance  ?  Yea, 
and  oft  times  it  falleth  that  God  suffereth  those  men 
to  fall  full  grievously  by  the  which  He  hath  ordained 
other  men's  errors  to  be  righted,  that  they  may  learn  by 
their  own  falling  how  merciful  they  shall  be  in  amending 
of  others.  And  for  that  oft  times  men  fall  grievously 
in  those  same  sins  that  they  most  hate,  therefore,  after 
hatred  of  sin,  springeth  ordained  shame  in  a  man's  soul ; 
and  so  it  is  that  after  Zebulun  was  Dinah  born.  As  by 
Zebulun  hatred  of  sin,  so  by  Dinah  is  understanden 
ordained  shame  of  sin.  But  wete  thou  well :  he  that 
felt  never  Zebulun,  felt  never  yet  Dinah.  Evil  men 
have  a  manner  of  shame,  but  it  is  not  this  ordained 
shame.  For  why,  if  they  had  perfect  shame  of  sin,  they 
should  not  so  customably  do  it  with  will  and  advise- 
ment ;  ^  but  they  shame  more  with  a  foul  cloth  on  their 
body,  than  with  a  foul  thought  in  their  soul.  But  what 
so  thou  be  that  weenest  that  thou  hast  gotten  Dinah, 
think  whether  thee  would  shame  as  much  if  a  foul 
thought   were   in   thine   heart,  as  thee   would  if  thou 

1  1  John  i.  8. 

2  Cf.  St.  Augustine's  various  writings  against  the  Pelagians, 
e.g.  Epist.  clvii.  (Opera,  ed.  Migne,  torn.  ii.  coll.  374  et  seq.). 
Ad  Hilarium. 

3  Deliberate  intention. 


26       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

were  made  to  stand  naked  before  the  king  and  all  his 
royalme ;  and  sikerly  else  wete  it  thou  right  well  that 
thou  hast  not  yet  gotten  ordained  shame  in  thy  feeling, 
if  so  be  that  thou  have  less  shame  with  thy  foul  heart  than 
with  thy  foul  body,  and  if  thou  think  more  shame  with  thy 
foul  body  in  the  sight  of  men  than  with  thy  foul  heart 
in  the  sight  of  the  King  of  heaven  and  of  all  His  angels 
and  holy  saints  in  heaven. 

Lo,  it  is  now  said  of  the  seven  children  of  Leah,  by 
the  which  are  understanden  seven  manner  of  affections 
in  a  man's  soul,  the  which  may  be  now  ordained  and  now 
unordained,  now  measured  and  now  unmeasured ;  but 
when  they  are  ordained  and  measured,  then  are  they 
virtues  ;  and  when  they  are  unordained  and  unmeasured, 
then  are  they  vices.  Thus  behoveth  a  man  have  children  ^ 
that  they  be  not  only  ordained,  but  also  measured.  Then 
are  they  ordained  when  they  are  of  that  thing  that  they 
should  be,  and  then  are  they  unordained  when  they  are 
of  that  thing  that  they  should  not  be  ;  and  then  are  they 
measured  when  they  are  as  much  as  they  should  be,  and 
then  are  they  unmeasured  when  they  are  more  than 
they  should  be.  For  why,  overmuch  dread  bringeth 
in  despair,  and  overmuch  sorrow  casteth  a  man  in  to 
bitterness  and  heaviness  of  kind,^  for  the  which  he  is 
unable  to  receive  ghostly  comfort.  And  overmuch  hope 
is  presumption,  and  outrageous  love  is  but  flattering  and 
1   H'^arftes  in  the  MSS.  3  Disposition. 


THE   WAY  TO   CONTEMPLATION        27 

f  aging/  and  outrageous  gladness  is  dissolution  and  wanton- 
ness, and  untempered  hatred  of  sin  is  woodness.^  And 
on  this  manner,  they  are  unordained  and  unmeasured, 
and  thus  are  they  turned  in  to  vices,  and  then  lose  they 
the  name  of  virtues,  and  may  not  be  accounted  amongst 
the  sons  of  Jacob,  that  is  to  say,  God  :  for  by  Jacob  is 
understanden  God,  as  it  is  shewed  in  the  figure  before. 


CAPITULUM   X 

HOW   DISCRETION    AND    CONTEMPLATION    RISE   IN 
THE    REASON 

Thus  it  seemeth  that  the  virtue  of  discretion  needeth  to 
be  had,  with  the  which  all  others  may  be  governed  ;  for 
without  it  all  virtues  are  turned  in  to  vices.  This  is 
Joseph,  that  is  the  late  born  child,  but  yet  his  father 
loveth  him  more  than  them  all.  For  why,  without  dis- 
cretion may  neither  goodness  be  gotten  nor  kept,  and 
therefore  no  wonder  though  that  virtue  be  singularly 
loved,  without  which  no  virtue  may  be  had  nor  governed. 
But  what  wonder  though  this  virtue  be  late  gotten,  when 
we  may  not  win  to  the  perfection  of  discretion  without 
much  custom  and  many  travails  of  these  other  affections 
coming  before  ?     For  first  behoveth  us  to  be  used  in  each 

1  Coaxing,  beguiling.     Harl.  MS.  674  reads:  "  glosing." 

2  Madness. 


28       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

virtue  by  itself,  and  get  the  proof  of  them  all  serely,^  ere 
we  may  have  full  knowing  of  them  all,  or  else  can  deem 
sufficiently  of  them  all.  And  when  we  use  us  busily  in 
these  feelings  and  beholdings  before  said,  oft  times  we 
fall  and  oft  times  we  rise.  Then,  by  our  oft  falling,  may 
we  learn  how  much  wariness  us  behoveth  have  in  the 
getting  and  keeping  of  these  virtues.  And  thus  some- 
time, by  long  use,  a  soul  is  led  into  full  discretion,  and 
then  it  may  joy  in  the  birth  of  Joseph.  And  before  this 
virtue  be  conceived  in  a  man's  soul,  all  that  these  other 
virtues  do,  it  is  without  discretion.  And  therefore,  in  as 
much  as  a  man  presumeth  and  enforceth  him  in  any 
of  these  feelings  beforesaid,  over  his  might  and  out  of 
measure,  in  so  much  the  fouler  he  falleth  and  faileth  of 
his  purpose.  And  therefore  it  is  that,  after  them  all 
and  last,  is  Dinah  born  ;  for  often,  after  a  foul  fall  and  a 
failing,  cometh  soon  shame.  And  thus  after  many  fallings 
and  failings,  and  shames  following,  a  man  learneth  by  the 
proof  that  there  is  nothing  better  than  to  be  ruled  after 
counsel,  the  which  is  the  readiest  getting  of  discretion. 
For  why,  he  that  doth  all  things  with  counsel,  he  shall 
never  forthink  ^  it ;  for  better  is  a  sly  man  than  a  strong 
man ;   yea,  and  better  is  list  than  lither  strength,^  and  a 

1  In  particular.     Pepwellhas:  "surely."  ^  Regret. 

3  Better  is  art  than  evil  strength.  A  proverbial  expression. 
Cf.  Layamons  Brut,  17210  (ed.  Madden,  ii.  p.  297) ;  Ancren 
Riwle  (ed.  Morton),  p.  268  (where  it  is  rendered :  "  Skilful  pru- 
dence is  better  than  rude  fcrce").     Cf.  Prov.  xxi.  22. 


THE   WAY   TO    CONTEMPLATION        29 

sly  man  speaketli  of  victories.  And  here  is  the  open  skill 
why  that  neither  Leah  nor  Zilpah  nor  Bilhah  might  bear 
such  a  child,  but  only  Rachel ;  for,  as  it  is  said  before, 
that  of  reason  springeth  right  counsel,  the  which  is 
very  discretion,  understanden  by  Joseph,  the  first  son  of 
Rachel ;  and  then  at  the  first  bring  we  forth  Joseph  in  our 
reason  when  all  that  we  are  stirred  to  do,  we  do  it  with 
counsel.  This  Joseph  shall  not  only  know  what  sins  we 
are  most  stirred  unto,  but  also  he  shall  know  the  weakness 
of  our  kind,  and  after  that  either  asketh,  so  shall  he  do 
remedy,  and  seek  counsel  at  wiser  than  he,  and  do  after 
them,  or  else  he  is  not  Joseph,  Jacob's  son  born  of  Rachel. 
And  also  by  this  foresaid  ^  Joseph  a  man  is  not  only 
learned  to  eschew  the  deceits  of  his  enemies,  but  also  oft 
a  man  is  led  by  him  to  the  perfect  knowing  of  himself ; 
and  all  after  that  a  man  knoweth  himself,  thereafter  he 
profiteth  in  the  knowing  of  God,  of  whom  he  is  the  image 
and  the  likeness.  And  therefore  it  is  that  after  Joseph 
is  Benjamin  born.  For  as  by  Joseph  discretion,  so  by 
Benjamin  we  understand  contemplation.  And  both  are 
they  born  of  one  mother,  and  gotten  of  one  father.  For 
through  the  grace  of  God  lightening  our  reason,  come  we 
to  the  perfect  knovdng  of  ourself  and  of  God,  that  is 
to  say,  after  that  it  may  be  in  this  Hfe.  But  long  after 
Joseph  is  Benjamin  born.  For  why,  truly  but  if  it  so  be 
that  we  use  us  busily  and  long  in  ghostly  travails,  with 
1  The  MSS,  have :  "  ilke." 


30       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

the  which  we  are  learned  to  know  ourself,  we  may  not 
be  raised  in  to  the  knowing  and  contemplation  of  God. 
He  doth  for  nought  that  lifteth  up  his  eye  to  the  sight 
of  God,  that  is  not  yet  able  to  see  himself.  For  first  I 
would  that  a  man  learned  him  to  know  the  unseeable  ^ 
things  of  his  own  spirit,  ere  he  presume  to  know  the  un- 
seeable things  of  the  spirit  of  God  ;  and  he  that  knoweth 
not  yet  himself  and  weeneth  that  he  hath  gotten  some- 
deal  knowing  of  the  unseeable  things  of  God,  I  doubt  it 
not  but  that  he  is  deceived  ;  and  therefore  I  rede  that  a 
man  seek  first  busily  for  to  know  himself,  the  which  is 
made  to  the  image  and  the  likeness  of  God  as  in  soul. 
And  wete  thou  well  that  he  that  desireth  for  to  see  God, 
him  behoveth  to  cleanse  his  soul,  the  which  is  as  a  mirror 
in  the  which  all  things  are  clearly  seen,  when  it  is  clean  ; 
and  when  the  mirror  is  foul,  then  mayst  thou  see  nothing 
clearly  therein ;  and  right  so  it  is  of  thy  soul,  when  it 
is  foul,  neither  thou  knowest  thyself  nor  God.  As  when 
the  candle  brenneth,  thou  mayst  then  see  the  self  candle  ^ 
by  the  light  thereof,  and  other  things  also ;  right  so, 
when  thy  soul  brenneth  in  the  love  of  God,  that  is,  when 
thou  feelest  continually  thine  heart  desire  after  the  love 
of  God,  then,  by  the  light  of  His  grace  that  He  sendeth 
in  thy  reason,  thou  mayst  see  both  thine  own  unworthi- 

1  Invisibilia. 

2  So  Pepwell  and  Harl.  MS.  674.    Harl.  MS.  1022,  ed.  HorGtman, 
reads :  "see  thiself  and  the  candell. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION         31 

ness  and  His  great  goodness.  And  therefore  cleanse  thy 
mirror  and  proffer  thy  candle  to  the  fire  ;  and  then, 
when  thy  mirror  is  cleansed  and  thy  candle  brenning, 
and  it  so  be  that  thou  wittily  behold  thereto,  then  be- 
ginneth  there  a  manner  of  clarity  of  the  light  of  God 
for  to  shine  in  thy  soul,  and  a  manner  of  sunbeam  that  is 
ghostly  to  appear  before  thy  ghostly  sight,  through  the 
which  the  eye  of  thy  soul  is  opened  to  behold  God  and 
godly  things,  heaven  and  heavenly  things,  and  all  manner 
of  ghostly  things.  But  this  sight  is  but  by  times,  when 
God  will  vouchsafe  for  to  give  it  to  a  working  ^  soul,  the 
whiles  it  is  in  the  battle  of  this  deadly  life  ;  but  after 
this  life  it  shall  be  everlasting.  This  light  shone  in  the 
soul  of  David,  when  he  said  thus  in  the  psalm  :  "  Lord, 
the  light  of  Thy  face  is  marked  upon  us  ;  Thou  hast 
given  gladness  within  mine  heart."  ^  The  light  of  God's 
face  is  the  shining  of  His  grace,  that  reformeth  in  us  His 
image  that  hath  been  disfigured  with  the  darkness  of  sin  ; 
and  therefore  a  soul  that  brenneth  in  desire  of  His  sight,^ 
if  it  hope  for  to  have  that  that  it  desireth,  wete  it  well  it 
hath  conceived  Benjamin.  And,  therefore,  what  is  more 
healfuU  ^  than  the  sweetness  of  this  sight,  or  what  softer 
thing  may  be  felt  ?  Sikerly,  none  ;  and  that  woteth 
Rachel  full  well.  For  why,  reason  saith  that,  in  com- 
parison of  this  sweetness,  all  other  sweetness  is  sorrow, 

1  Pepwell  reads :  "waking."  2  Ps,  iv.  6-7. 

3  Harl.  MS.  674  reads :  "  light."  ■*  Salutary. 


32       THE   CELL   OF    SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

and  bitter  as  gall  before  honey.  Nevertheless,  yet  may 
a  man  never  come  to  such  a  grace  by  his  own  slight.^ 
For  why,  it  is  the  gift  of  God  without  desert  of  man. 
But  without  doubt,  though  it  be  not  the  desert  of  man, 
yet  no  man  may  take  such  grace  without  great  study 
and  brenrting  desires  coming  before ;  and  that  woteth 
Rachel  full  well,  and  therefore  she  multiplieth  her  study, 
and  whetteth  her  desires,  seeking  desire  upon  desire ;  ^ 
so  that  at  the  last,  in  great  abundance  of  brenning  desires 
and  sorrow  of  the  delaying  of  her  desire,  Benjamin  is  born, 
and  his  mother  Rachel  dieth ;  ^  for  why,  in  what  time 
that  a  soul  is  ravished  above  itself  by  abundance  of  desires 
and  a  great  multitude  of  love,  so  that  it  is  inflamed  with 
the  light  of  the  Godhead,  sikerly  then  dieth  all  man's 
reason. 

And  therefore,  what  so  thou  be  that  covetest  to  come 
to  contemplation  of  God,  that  is  to  say,  to  bring  forth 
such  a  child  that  men  clepen  in  the  story  Benjamin 
(that  is  to  say,  sight  of  God),  then  shalt  thou  use  thee  in 
this  manner.  Thou  shalt  call  together  thy  thoughts  and 
thy  desires,  and  make  thee  of  them  a  church,  and  learn 
thee  therein  for  to  love  only  this  good  word  Jesu,  so  that 
all  thy  desires  and  all  thy  thoughts  are  only  set  for  to 
love  Jesu,  and  that  unceasingly  as  it  may  be  here ;    so 

1  Skill. 

2  So  Pepwell.     Harl.  MS.  674  reads:  "each  desire  on  desire." 
Harl.  MS.  1022,  ed.  Horstman,  has :  "  hekand  desire  unto  desire." 

3  Gen.  XXXV.  18. 


THE   WAY   TO   CONTEMPLATION         33 

that  thou  fulfill  that  is  said  in  the  psalm  :  "  Lord,  I  shall 
bless  Thee  in  churches  "  ;  ^  that  is,  in  thoughts  and  desires 
of  the  love  of  Jesu.  And  then,  in  this  church  of  thoughts 
and  desires,  and  in  this  onehead  of  studies  and  of  wills, 
look  that  all  thy  thoughts,  and  all  thy  desires,  and  all  thy 
studies,  and  all  thy  wills  be  only  set  in  the  love  and  the 
praising  of  this  Lord  Jesu,  without  forgetting,  as  far  forth 
as  thou  mayst  by  grace,  and  as  thy  frailty  will  suffer ; 
evermore  meeking  thee  to  prayer  and  to  counsel,  patiently 
abiding  the  will  of  our  Lord,  unto  the  time  that  thy 
mind  be  ravished  above  itself,  to  be  fed  with  the  fair  food 
of  angels  in  the  beholding  of  God  and  ghostly  things  :  ^ 
so  that  it  be  fulfilled  in  thee  that  is  written  in  the  psalm  : 
Ibi  Benjamin  adolescentulus  in  mentis  excessu  ;  ^  that  is : 
"  There  is  Benjamin,  the  young  child,  in  ravishing  of 
mind."     The  grace  of  Jesu  keep  thee  evermore.^    Amen. 

1  Ps.  xxvi.  (Vulgate  XXV. )  12. 

2  So  Harl.  MSS.  1022  and  2373 ;  Pepwell  and  Harl.  MS.  674 
read:  "godly." 

3  Ps.  Ixviii,  27  (Vulgate  Ixvii.  28). 

4  So  Harl.  MS.  2373;  omitted  in  Harl,  MS.  674.  Pepwell 
has  instead:  "To  the  which  us  bring  our  blessed  Benjamin, 
Christ  Jesu,  Amen."  Harl.  MS.  1022  ends :  "Jesu,  Jesu,  Mercy, 
Jesu,  grant  Mercy,  Jesu."  The  whole  of  this  concluding  para- 
graph, which  is  an  addition  of  the  translator,  differs! considerably 
in  Pepwell. 


Deo  Gratias 


II 


HERE  FOLLOWETH  DIVERS  DOCTRINES  DE- 
VOUT AND  FRUITFUL,  TAKEN  OUT  OF  THE 
LIFE  OF  THAT  GLORIOUS  VIRGIN  AND  SPOUSE 
OF  OUR  LORD,  SAINT  KATHERIN  OF  SEENES. 
AND  FIRST  THOSE  WHICH  OUR  LORD  TAUGHT 
AND  SHEWED  TO  HERSELF,  AND  SITH  THOSE 
WHICH  SHE  TAUGHT  AND  SHEWED  UNTO 
OTHERS 


Here  followeth  Divers  Doctrines  Devout  and 
Fruitful,  taken  out  of  the  Life  of  that  Glorious 
Virgin  and  Spouse  of  Our  Lord,  Saint  Katherin  of 
Seenes.  And  first  those  which  Our  Lord  Taught 
and  Shew^ed  to  Herself,  and  sith  those  which  she 
Taught  and  Shewed  unto  Others 

THE  first  doctrine  of  our  Lord  is  this  : 
"  Knowest  thou  not,  daughter,  who  thou  art  and 
who  I  am  ?     If  thou  know  well  these  two  words,  thou  art 
and  shalt  be  blessed.     Thou  art  she  that  art  nought ;  and 
I  am  He  that  am  ought.^    If  thou  have  the  very  knowledge 
of  these  two  things  in  thy  soul,  thy  ghostly  enemy  shall 
never  deceive  thee,  but  thou  shalt  eschew  graciously  all 
his  malice  ;  ^  and  thou  shalt  never  consent  to  any  thing 
that  is  against  My  commandments  and  precepts,  but  all 
grace,  all  truth,  and  all  charity  thou  shalt  win  without 
any  hardness." 
The  second  doctrine  of  our  Lord  is  this : 
"  Think  on  Me,  and  I  shall  think  on  thee." 

1  So  Pepwell  and  MS.  Reg.  17  D.V. ;  Caxton  has :  "  Thou  art 
she  that  art  not,  and  I  am  he  that  am"  ;  which  is  nearer  to  the 
Latin. 

2  Caxton  reads :  "  escape  gracyously  all  his  snares." 

37 


38       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

In  declaring  of  which  doctrine  she  was  wont  to  say  that: 

"  A  soul  which  is  verily  united  to  God  perceiveth  not, 
seeth  not,  nor  loveth  not  herself,  nor  none  other  soul, 
nor  hath  no  mind  of  no  creature  but  only  on  God." 

And  these  words  she  expoundeth  more  expressly,  and 
saith  thus  : 

"  Such  a  soul  seeth  herself,  that  she  is  very  nought  of 
herself,  and  knoweth  perfectly  that  all  the  goodness,  with 
all  the  mights  of  the  soul,  is  her  Maker's.  She  forsaketh 
utterly  herself  and  all  creatures,  and  hideth  herself  fully 
in  her  Maker,  our  Lord  Jesu  ;  in  so  much  that  she  sendeth 
fuUy  and  principally  all  her  ghostly  and  bodily  workings 
in  to  Him;  in  whom  she  perceiveth  that  she  may  find 
all  goodness,  and  all  perfection  of  blessedness.  And, 
therefore,  she  shall  have  no  wiU  to  go  out  from  such  in- 
ward knowledge  of  Him  for  nothing.^  And  of  this  unity 
of  love,  that  is  increased  every  day  in  such  a  soul,  she  is 
transformed  in  a  manner  in  to  our  Lord,  that  she  may 

1  Cf.  Dante,  Par.  xxxiii.  100-105  • — 

"  A  quella  luce  cotal  si  diventa, 

Che  volgersi  da  lei  per  altro  aspetto 
E  impossibil  che  mai  si  consenta ; 
Perd  che  il  ben,  cb'e  del  volere  obbietto, 
Tutto  s'accoglie  in  lei,  e  fuor  di  quella 
E  difettivo  ci6  che  11  e  perfetto." 

"Such  at  that  light  does  one  become,  that  it  were  impossible 
ever  to  consent  to  turn  from  it  for  sight  of  ought  else.  For  the 
good,  that  is  the  object  of  the  will,  is  wholly  gathered  therein, 
and  outside  it  that  is  defective  which  there  is  perfect." 


SAINT   KATHERIN  OF    SEENES  39 

neither  think,  nor  understand,  nor  love,  nor  have  no 
mind  but  God,  or  else  in  God.  For  she  may  not  see 
herself,  nor  none  other  creature,  but  only  in  God ;  nor 
she  may  not  love  herself,  nor  none  other,  but  only  in  God ; 
nor  she  may  have  no  mind  of  herself  nor  of  none  other, 
but  only  in  God,  nor  she  may  have  no  mind  but  only  of 
her  Maker.  And  therefore,"  she  said,  "  we  shall  have 
none  other  business  but  only  to  think  how  we  may  please 
Him,  unto  whom  we  have  committed  all  our  governance 
both  in  body  and  soul." 

The  third  doctrine  of  our  Lord  is  this ;  in  obtaining 
of  virtue  and  ghostly  strength  : 

"  Daughter,  if  thou  wilt  get  unto  thee  virtue  and  also 
ghostly  strength,^  thou  must  follow  Me.  Albeit  that  I 
might  by  My  godly  virtue  have  overcome  all  the  power 
of  the  fiends  by  many  manner  ways  of  overcoming,  yet, 
for  to  give  you  ensample  by  My  manhood,  I  would  not 
overcome  him  but  only  by  taking  of  death  upon  the 
Cross,  that  ye  might  be  taught  thereby,  if  ye  will  over- 
come your  ghostly  enemies,  for  to  take  the  Cross  as  I 
did  ;  the  which  Cross  shall  be  to  you  a  great  refreshing 
in  all  your  temptations,  if  ye  have  mind  of  the  pains  that 
I  suffered  thereon.^    And  certainly  the  pains  of  the  Cross 

1  So  Pepwell :  Caxton  has :  "  yf  thou  wilt  gete  the  vertu  of 
ghostely  strength." 

2  Pepwell  and  the  MS.  add :  "  and  temptations"  (Caxton  :  "  of 
temptacyons") ;  which  is  clearly  out  of  place.  Cf.  Legend  a,  §  104 
(Acta  Sanctorum ,  Aprilis,  torn.  iii. ). 


40       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

may  well  be  called  refreshing  of  temptations,  for  the  more 
pain  ye  suffer  for  My  love,  the  more  like  ye  be  to  Me. 
And  if  ye  be  so  like  to  Me  in  passion,  needs  ye  must  be 
like  to  Me  in  joy.^  Therefore  for  My  love,  daughter, 
suffer  patiently  bitter  things,  and  not  sweet  things  ;  and 
doubt  in  no  wise,  for  thou  shalt  be  strong  enough  for  to 
suffer  all  things  patiently." 
The  first  doctrine  of  this  glorious  virgin  is  this  : 
"  A  soul  which  is  verily  mete  ^  to  God,  as  much  as  it 
hath  of  the  love  of  God,  so  much  it  hath  of  the  hate  of 
her  own  sensuality.  For  of  the  love  of  God  naturally 
Cometh  hate  of  sin,  the  which  is  done  against  God.  The 
soul,  therefore,  considering  that  the  root  and  beginning 
of  sin  reigneth  in  the  sensuality,  and  there  principally  is 
rooted,  she  is  moved  and  stirred  highly  and  holily  with 
all  her  mights  against  her  own  sensuality  ;  not  utterly  to 
destroy  the  root,  for  that  may  not  be,  as  long  as  the  soul 
dwelleth  in  the  body  living  in  this  life,  but  ever  there 
shall  be  left  a  root,  namely  of  small  venial  sins.  And 
because  she  may  not  utterly  destroy  the  root  of  sin 
thus  in  her  sensuality,  she  conceiveth  a  great  displeas- 
aunce  against  her  sensuality,  of  the  which  displeasaunce 
springeth  an  holy  hate  and  a  despising  of  the  sensuality, 
by  the  which  the  soul  is  ever  well  kept  from  her  ghostly 
enemies.     There  is   nothing  that  keepeth   the  soul  so 

1  2  Cor.  i.  7. 

2  Mated.     Caxton  has:    "vertuously   y-mette."     Cf.   Legenda, 
§  loi :  "Talis  anima  sic  Deo  conjuncta." 


SAINT   KATHERIN   OF    SEENES  41 

strong  and  so  sure  as  doth  such  an  holy  hate.  And  that 
felt  well  the  Apostle,  when  he  said  :  Cum  infirmor,  tunc 
fortior  sum  et  fotens  ;  ^  that  is  :  When  I  am  sick  and 
feeble  in  my  sensuality  by  hate  of  sin,  then  am  I  stronger 
and  mightier  in  my  soul.  Lo,  of  such  hate  cometh  virtue, 
of  such  feebleness  cometh  strength,  and  of  such  dis- 
pleasaunce  cometh  pleasaunce.  This  holy  hate  maketh 
a  man  meek,  and  to  feel  meek  things  of  himself.  It 
maketh  him  patient  in  adversity,  temperate  in  prosperity, 
and  setteth  him  in  all  honesty  of  virtue,  and  maketh  him 
to  be  loved  both  of  God  and  man.  And  where  this  holy 
hate  is  not,  there  is  inordinate  love,  which  is  the  stinking 
canal  of  all  sin,  and  root  ^  of  all  evil  concupiscence.  Do 
therefore,"  she  saith,  "  your  business  to  put  away  such 
inordinate  love  of  your  own  self,  out  of  your  hearts,  and 
plant  therein  holy  hate  of  sin.  For  certain  that  is  the 
right  way  to  perfection,  and  amendment  of  all  sin." 

Here  is  a  common  answer  which  she  used  to  say  to  the 
fiends : 

"  I  trust  in  my  Lord  Jesu  Christ,  and  not  in  myself." 

Here  is  a  rule  how  we  shall  behave  us  in  time  of 
temptation  : 

"  When  temptation,"  she  saith,  "  ariseth  in  us,  we 
should  never  dispute  nor  make  questions  ;  for  that  is," 
she  saith,  "  that  the  fiend  most  seeketh  of  us  for  to  fall  in 

1  2  Cor.  xii.  lo. 

2  "  And  the  cause  and  the  rote  "  (Caxton). 


42       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

questions  with  him.  He  trusteth  so  highly  in  the  great 
subtlety  of  his  malice,  that  he  should  overcome  us  with 
his  sophistical  reasons.  Therefore  a  soul  should  never 
make  questions,  nor  answer  to  the  questions  of  the  fiend, 
but  rather  turn  her  to  devout  prayer,  and  commend  her 
to  our  Lord  that  she  consent  not  to  his  subtle  de- 
mands ;  for  by  virtue  of  devout  prayer,  and  steadfast 
faith,  we  may  overcome  all  the  subtle  temptations  of  the 
fiend." 

Here  is  a  good  conceit  of  this  holy  maid  to  eschew  the 
temptations  of  the  fiend  : 

"  It  happeneth,"  she  said,  "  that  otherwhile  ^  the 
devout  fervour  of  a  soul  loving  our  Lord  Jesu,  either  by 
some  certain  sin,  or  else  by  some  new  subtle  temptations 
of  the  fiend,  waxeth  dull  and  slow,  and  otherwhile  it  is 
brought  to  very  coldness  ;  ^  in  so  much  that  some  unwitty 
folks,  considering  that  they  be  destitute  from  the  ghostly 

1  Sometimes. 

2  Caxton  has  :  "It  happed  she  sayde  that  other  whyle  deuoute 
feruour  of  a  sowle  leuyng  oure  lorde  Jhesu  other  by  somme  certeyne 
synne,  or  ellys  by  newe  sotyll  temptacyons  of  the  fende  wexyth 
dull  and  slowe,  and  other  whyle  it  is  y-brought  to  veray  coldenesse. " 
Pepwell  and  the  MS.  are  entirely  corrupt :  "It  happeneth  (she 
sayth)  that  otherwhyle  a  synner  whiche  is  leuynge  our  Lord  Jhesu 
by  some  certeyn  synne,  or  ellys  by  some  certeyn  temptacyons  of 
the  fende,"  &c.  The  original  of  the  passage  runs  thus:  "Fre- 
quenter enim  (ut  inquiebat)  contingit  anitnae  Deum  amanti,  quod 
fervor  mentalis,  vel  ex  divina  providentia,  vel  ex  aliquali  culpa, 
vel  ex  haustis  adinventionibus  inimici,  tepescit,  et  quandoque  quasi 
ad  frigiditatem  usque  deducitur"  (Legenda,  §  107). 


SAINT   KATHERIN   OF    SEENES  43 

comfort  the  which  they  were  wont  to  have,  leave  *  there- 
fore the  ghostly  exercise  that  they  were  wont  to  use  of 
prayer,  of  meditations,  of  reading,  of  holy  communications, 
and  of  penance  doing ;  whereby  they  be  made  more 
ready  to  be  overcome  of  the  fiend.  For  he  desireth 
nothing  else  of  Christ's  knights,  but  that  they  should 
put  away  their  armour  by  the  which  they  were  wont  to 
overcome  their  enemies.  A  wise  knight  of  our  Lord 
Jesu  should  not  do  so.  But  thus,  the  more  he  feeleth  ^ 
himself  dull  and  slow,  or  cold  in  devotion,  the  rather  he 
should  continue  in  his  ghostly  exercise,  and  not  for  to 
make  them  less,  but  rather  increase  them." 

Here  is  another  doctrine  of  this  holy  maid,  the  which 
she  used  to  say  to  herself  in  edifying  of  others  : 

"  Thou  vile  and  wretched  creature,  art  thou  worthy 
any  manner  of  comfort  in  this  life  ?  Why  hast  thou  not 
mind  of  thy  sins  ?  What  supposest  thou  of  thyself, 
wretched  sinner  ?  Is  it  not  enough  to  thee,  trowest 
thou  not,  that  thou  art  escaped  by  the  mercy  of  our 
Lord  from  everlasting  damnation  ?  Therefore  thou 
shouldest  be  well  apaid,^  wretch,  though  thou  suffer  all 
the  pains  and  darkness  of  thy  soul  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 
Why  art  thou,  then,  heavy  and  sorrowful  to  suffer  such 
pains,  sith  by  God's  grace  thou  shalt  escape  endless  pains 

1  So  Caxton ;  Pepwell  has  :  "  leaving." 

2  Caxton  has  :  "seeth";  the  Latin  text :  quantumcumque  videat 
sni  sentiat. 

3  Requited. 


44       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

with  Christ  Jesu  without  any  doubt,  and  be  comforted 
endlessly,  if  thou  bear  these  pains  patiently.  Whether 
hast  thou  chosen  to  serve  our  Lord  only  for  the  comfort 
that  thou  mayst  have  of  Him  in  this  life  ?  Nay,  but  for 
the  comfort  that  thou  shalt  have  of  Him  in  the  bliss  of 
heaven.  Therefore  arise  up  now,  and  cease  never  of  thy 
ghostly  exercise  that  thou  hast  used,  but  rather  increase 
to  them  more." 

Here  is  an  answer  by  the  which  she  had  a  final  victory 
of  the  fiend,  after  long  threats  of  intolerable  pains : 

"  I  have  chosen  pain  for  my  refreshing,  and  therefore 
it  is  not  hard  to  me  to  suffer  them,  but  rather  delectable 
for  the  love  of  my  Saviour,  as  long  as  it  pleaseth  His 
Majesty  that  I  shall  suffer  them." 

Here  is  a  doctrine  of  the  said  virgin,  how  we  should 
use  the  grace  of  our  Lord  : 

"  Who  so  could  use  the  grace  of  our  Lord,  he  should 
ever  have  the  victory  of  all  things  that  falleth  to  him. 
For  as  often,"  she  said,  "  as  any  new  thing  falleth  to  a 
man,  be  it  of  prosperity  or  adversity,  he  should  think  in 
himself  thus  :  Of  this  will  I  win  somewhat.  For  he  that 
can  do  so,  shall  soon  be  rich  in  virtue." 

Here  foUoweth  notable  doctrines  of  this  holy  maid, 
taken  of  her  sermon  which  she  made  to  her  disciples 
before  her  passing,  and  the  first  was  this  : 

"  What  so  ever  he  be  that  cometh  to  the  service  of 
God,  if  he  will  have  God  truly,  it  is  needful  to  him  that 


SAINT   KATHERIN   OF    SEENES  45 

he  make  his  heart  naked  from  all  sensible  love,  not  only 
of  certain  persons  but  of  every  creature  what  that  ever 
he  be,  and  then  he  should  stretch  up  his  soul  to  our  Lord 
and  our  Maker,  simply,  with  all  the  desire  of  his  heart. 
For  an  heart  may  not  wholly  be  given  to  God,  but  if  it 
be  free  from  all  other  love,  open  and  simple  without 
doubleness."  And  so  she  affirmed  of  herself,  that  it 
was  her  principal  labour  and  business  from  her  young 
age  unto  that  time,  ever  for  to  come  to  that  perfection. 
Also  she  said  that  she  knew  well  that  to  such  a  state  of 
perfection,  in  the  which  all  the  heart  is  given  to  God,  a 
soul  may  not  come  perfectly  without  meditation  of  devout 
prayer,  and  that  the  prayer  be  grounded  in  meekness, 
and  that  it  come  not  forth  and  proceed  by  any  trust  of 
any  manner  of  virtue  of  him  that  prayeth,  but  alway  he 
should  know  himself  to  be  right  nought.  For  she  said 
that  that  was  ever  her  business,  to  give  herself  to  the 
exercise  of  prayer,  so  for  to  win  the  continual  habit  of 
prayer  ;  for  she  did  see  well  that  by  prayer  all  virtues  are 
increased,  and  made  mighty  and  strong ;  and,  without 
prayer,  they  wax  feeble  and  defail.^  Wherefore  she 
induced  her  disciples  that  they  should  busy  them  to 
prayer  perseverauntly ;  and  therefore  she  told  them  of 
two  manner  of  prayers :  ^  Vocal  and  Mental.    Vocal 

1  So  the  MS.;   Pepwell  reads:   "werefeble  and  fayle";  and 
Caxton :  "  wexed  feble  and  defayled." 

2  Caxton  reads:  "prayng"  (praying). 


46      THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

prayers,  she  said,  should  be  kept  certain  hours  in  the 
night  and  in  the  day  ordained  by  holy  Church  ;  but 
mental  prayer  should  ever  be  had,  in  act  or  in  habit  of  the 
soul.  Also  she  said  that,  by  the  light  of  quick  faith,  she 
saw  clearly  and  conceived  in  her  soul  that  what  that  ever 
befell  to  her,  or  to  any  others,  all  cometh  from  God,  not 
for  hate  but  for  great  love  that  He  hath  to  His  creatures  ; 
and  by  ^  this  quick  faith  she  conceived  in  herself  a  love 
and  a  readiness  to  obey  as  well  to  the  precepts  of  her 
sovereigns,^  as  to  the  commandments  of  God,  ever  think- 
ing that  their  precepts  should  come  from  God,  either  for 
need  of  herself,  or  else  for  increase  of  virtue  in  her  soul. 
Also  she  said,  for  to  get  and  purchase  purity  of  soul,  it 
were  right  necessary  that  a  man  kept  himself  from  all 
manner  of  judgments  of  his  [neighbour,  and  from  all  idle 
speaking  of  his]  ^  neighbour's  deeds  ;  for  in  every  creature 
we  should  behold  only  the  vidll  of  God.  And  therefore 
she  said  that  in  no  wise  men  should  deem  *  creatures ; 
that  is,  neither  despise  them  by  their  doom  ^  nor  con- 
demn them,  all  be  it  that  they  see  them  do  open  sin  before 
them  ;  but  rather  they  should  have  compassion  on  them 
and  pray  for  them,  and  despise  them  not,  nor  condemn 

1  So  Caxton :  Pepwell  and  MS.  have  :  "  in." 

2  Latin,  Praelatorum  suorum  (i.e.  of  her  ecclesiastical  superiors), 
Legenda,  §  361. 

3  Omitted  in  Pepwell  and  in  MS. 

4  Judge.     Cf.  above,  p.  14. 

5  Judgment. 


SAINT   KATHERIN   OF   SEENES  47 

them.  Also  she  said  that  she  had  great  hope  and  trust 
in  God's  providence ;  for,  she  said,  she  knew  well  ^  by 
experience  that  the  Divine  providence  was  and  is  a 
passing  great  thing,  for  it  wanteth  never  to  them  that 
hopeth  in  it. 

1  ' '  Also  she  sayd  that  she  hadde  alwaye  grete  hope  and  truste 
in  Goddes  prouydence,  and  to  this  same  truste  she  enduced  her 
dysciples  seyng  unto  theym  that  she  founde  and  knewe  "  (Caxton). 


Deo  Gratias 


Ill 


HERE   BEGINNETH  A   SHORT  TREATISE   OF 

CONTEMPLATION   TAUGHT   BY   OUR   LORD 

JESU  CHRIST,  OR  TAKEN  OUT  OF  THE  BOOK 

OF  MARGERY  KEMPE,  ANCRESS  OF  LYNN 


Here  beginneth  a  Short  Treatise  of  Contemplation 

Taught  by  Our  Lord  Jesu  Christ,  or  taken  out  of 

the  Book  of  Margery  Kempe,  Ancress  of  Lynn 

SHE  desired  many  times  that  her  head  might  be 
smitten  oflE  with  an  axe  upon  a  block  for  the  love  of 
our  Lord  Jesu.  Then  said  our  Lord  Jesu  in  her  mind  : 
"  I  thank  thee,  daughter,  that  thou  wouldest  die  for  My 
love;  for  as  often  as  thou  thinkest  so,  thou  shalt  have  the 
same  meed  in  heaven,  as  if  thou  suffredest  the  same  death, 
and  yet  there  shall  no  man  slay  thee. 

"  I  assure  thee  in  thy  mind,  if  it  w^ere  possible  for 
Me  to  suffer  pain  again,  as  I  have  done  before,  Me  w^ere 
lever  to  suffer  as  much  pain  as  ever  I  did  for  thy  soul 
alone,  rather  than  thou  shouldest  depart  from  Me  ever- 
lastingly. 

"  Daughter,  thou  mayst  no  better  please  God,  than 
to  think  continually  in  His  love." 

Then  she  asked  our  Lord  Jesu  Christ,  how  she  should 

best  love  Him.     And  our  Lord  said  :  "  Have  mind  of  thy 

wickedness,  and  think  on  My  goodness. 
51 


52       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

"  Daughter,  if  thou  wear  the  habergeon  or  the  hair,* 
fasting  bread  and  water,  and  if  thou  saidest  every  day  a 
thousand  Pater  Nosters,  thou  shalt  ^  not  please  Me  so 
well  as  thou  dost  when  thou  art  in  silence,  and  suSrest 
Me  to  speak  in  thy  soul. 

"  Daughter,  for  to  bid  many  beads,  it  is  good  to  them 
that  can  not  better  do,  and  yet  it  is  not  perfect.'  But 
it  is  a  good  way  toward  perfection.  For  I  tell  thee, 
daughter,  they  that  be  great  fasters,  and  great  doers  of 
penance,  they  would  that  it  should  be  holden  the  best 
life.*    And  they  that  give  them  unto  many  devotions, 

1  The  habergeon  or  the  hair-shirt,  the  former  term  being  applied 
to  an  instrument  of  penance  as  well  as  to  a  piece  of  armour.  Cf. 
Chaucer,  The  Persones  Tale  (ed.  Skeat,  §  97) :  "  Thanne  shaltow 
understonde,  that  bodily  peyne  stant  in  disciplyne  or  techinge,  by 
word  or  by  wrytinge,  or  in  ensample.  Also  in  weringe  of  heyres 
or  of  stamin,  or  of  haubergeons  on  hir  naked  flesh,  for  Cristes 
sake,  and  swiche  manere  penances.  But  war  thee  wel  that  swiche 
manere  penances  on  thy  flesh  ne  make  nat  thyn  herte  bitter  or 
angry  or  anoyed  of  thy-self ;  for  bettre  is  to  caste  awey  thyn 
heyre,  than  for  to  caste  away  the  sikernesse  of  Jesu  Crist.  And 
therfore  seith  seint  Paul :  '  Clothe  yow,  as  they  that  been  chosen 
of  God,  in  herte  of  misericorde,  debonairetee,  suffraunce,  and 
swich  manere  of  clothinge ' ;  of  whiche  Jesu  Crist  is  more  apajred 
than  of  heyres,  or  haubergeons,  or  hauberkes." 

2  Wynkyn  de  Worde  has  :  "sholde." 

3  Wynkyn  de  Worde  reads  :  "  profyte." 

4  Cf.  St.  Catherine  of  Siena,  Letter  to  William  Flete  (ed.  Gigli, 
124) :  "  There  are  some  who  give  themselves  perfectly  to  chastising 
their  body,  doing  very  great  and  bitter  penance,  in  order  that  the 
sensuality  may  not  rebel  against  the  reason.  They  have  set  all 
their  desire  more  in  mortifying  the  body  than  in  slaying  their  own 


MARGERY   KEMPE   OF   LYNN  53 

they  would  have  that  the  best  life.  And  those  that  give 
much  almesse,  they  would  that  it  were  holden  the  best 
life.  And  I  have  often  told  thee,  daughter,  that  thinking, 
weeping,  and  high  contemplation  is  the  best  life  in  earth, 
and  thou  shalt  have  more  merit  in  heaven  for  one  year 
thinking  in  thy  mind  than  for  an  hundred  year  of  praying 
with  thy  mouth  ;  and  yet  thou  wilt  not  believe  Me,  for 
thou  wilt  bid  many  beads.^ 

"  Daughter,  if  thou  knew  how  sweet  thy  love  is  to  Me, 
thou  wouldest  never  do  other  thing  but  love  Me  with  all 
thine  heart. 

"  Daughter,  if  thou  -wilt  be  high  with  Me  in  heaven, 
keep  Me  alway  in  thy  mind  as  much  as  thou  mayst,  and 
forget  not  Me  at  thy  meat ;  but  think  alway  that  I  sit 
in  thine  heart  and  know  every  thought  that  is  therein, 
both  good  and  bad. 

"  Daughter,  I  have  suffered  many  pains  for  thy  love ; 
therefore  thou  hast  great  cause  to  love  Me  right  well, 
for  I  have  bought  thy  love  full  dear." 

"  Dear  Lord,"  she  said,  "  I  pray  Thee,  let  me  never 
have  other  joy  in  earth,  but  mourning  and  weeping  for 

will.  These  are  fed  at  the  table  of  penance,  and  are  good  and 
perfect ;  but  unless  they  have  great  humility,  and  compel  them- 
selves to  consider  the  will  of  God  and  not  that  of  men,  they  oft 
times  mar  their  perfection  by  making  themselves  judges  of  those 
who  are  not  going  by  the  same  way  that  they  are  going." 

1  Perhaps,  simply,  "say  many  prayers" — without  any  special 
reference  to  the  rosary. 


54       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

Thy  love  ;  for  me  thinketh,  Lord,  though  I  were  in  hell, 
if  I  might  weep  there  and  mourn  for  Thy  love  as  I  do 
here,  hell  should  not  noye  ^  me,  but  it  should  be  a  manner 
of  heaven.  For  Thy  love  putteth  away  all  manner  of 
dread  of  our  ghostly  enemy  ;  for  I  had  lever  be  there,  as 
long  as  Thou  wouldest,  and  please  Thee,  than  to  be  in 
this  world  and  displease  Thee ;  therefore,  good  Lord, 
as  Thou  wilt,  so  may  ^  it  be." 

She  had  great  wonder  that  our  Lord  would  become 
man,  and  suffer  so  grievous  pains,  for  her  that  was  so 
unkind  a  creature  to  Him.  And  then,  with  great  weeping, 
she  asked  our  Lord  Jesu  how  she  might  best  please  Him  ; 
and  He  answered  to  her  soul,  saying :  "  Daughter,  have 
mind  of  thy  wickedness,  and  think  on  My  goodness.'' 
Then  she  prayed  many  times  and  often  these  words : 
"  Lord,  for  Thy  great  goodness,  have  mercy  on  my  great 
wickedness,  as  certainly  as  I  was  never  so  wicked  as  Thou 
art  good,  nor  never  may  be  though  I  would ;  for  Thou 
art  so  good,  that  Thou  mayst  no  better  be  ;  and,  there- 
fore, it  is  great  wonder  that  ever  any  man  should  be 
departed  from  Thee  without  end." 

When  she  saw  the  Crucifix,  or  if  she  saw  a  man  had  a 
wound,  or  a  beast,  or  if  a  man  beat  a  child  before  her,  or 
smote  a  horse  or  another  beast  with  a  whip,  if  she  might 
see  it  or  hear  it,  she  thought  she  saw  our  Lord  beaten  or 
wounded,  like  as  she  saw  in  the  man  or  in  the  beast. 
1  Annoy.  2  Wynkyn  de  Worde has :  "mote." 


MARGERY   KEMPE   OF   LYNN  55 

The  more  she  increased  in  love  and  in  devotion,  the 
more  she  increased  in  sorrow  and  contrition,  in  lowliness  ^ 
and  meekness,  and  in  holy  dread  of  our  Lord  Jesu,  and  in 
knowledge  of  her  own  frailty.  So  that  if  she  saw  any 
creature  be  punished  or  sharply  chastised,  she  would 
think  that  she  had  been  more  worthy  to  be  chastised 
than  that  creature  was,  for  her  unkindness  against  God. 
Then  would  she  weep  for  her  own  sin,  and  for  compassion 
of  that  creature. 

Our  Lord  said  to  her  :  "  In  nothing  that  thou  dost  or 
sayest,  daughter,  thou  mayst  no  better  please  God  than 
believe  that  He  loveth  thee.  For,  if  it  were  possible  that 
I  might  weep  with  thee,  I  would  weep  with  thee  for  the 
compassion  that  I  have  of  thee." 

Our  merciful  Lord  Jesu  Christ  drew  this  creature  unto 
His  love,  and  to  the  mind  of  His  passion,  that  she  might 
not  endure  to  behold  a  leper,  or  another  sick  man, 
specially  if  he  had  any  wounds  appearing  on  him.  So 
she  wept  as  if  she  had  seen  our  Lord  Jesu  with  His  wounds 
bleeding ;  and  so  she  did,  in  the  sight  of  the  soul ;  for, 
through  the  beholding  of  the  sick  man,  her  mind  was  all 
ravished  in  to  our  Lord  Jesu,  that  she  had  great  mourning 
and  sorrowing  that  she  might  not  kiss  the  leper  when  she 
met  them  in  the  way,  for  the  love  of  our  Lord  :  which 
was  all  contrary  to  her  disposition  in  the  years  of  her 
youth  and  prosperity,  for  then  she  abhorred  them  most. 
1  Wynkyn  de  Worde  has :  "  lownesse." 


S6      THE    CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

Our  Lord  said  :  "  Daughter,  thou  hast  desired  in  thy 
mind  to  have  many  priests  in  the  town  of  Lynn,  that 
might  sing  and  read  night  and  day  for  to  serve  Me, 
worship  Me,  and  praise  Me,  and  thank  Me  for  the  good- 
ness that  I  have  done  to  thee  in  earth  ;  and  therefore, 
daughter,  I  promise  thee  that  thou  shalt  have  meed  and 
reward  in  heaven  for  the  good  wills  and  good  desires, 
as  if  thou  haddest  done  them  in  deed. 

"  Daughter,  thou  shalt  have  as  great  meed  and  as  great 
reward  with  Me  in  heaven,  for  thy  good  service  and  thy 
good  deeds  that  thou  hast  done  in  thy  mind,  as  if  thou 
haddest  done  the  same  with  thy  bodily  wits  without- 
forth.i 

"  And,  daughter,  I  thank  thee  for  the  charity  that  thou 
hast  to  all  lecherous  men  and  women ;  for  thou  prayest 
for  them  and  weepest  for  them  many  a  tear,  desiring  that 
I  should  deliver  them  out  of  sin,  and  be  as  gracious  to 
them  as  I  was  to  Mary  Magdalene,  that  they  might  have 
as  much  grace  to  love  Me  as  Mary  Magdalene  had  ;  and 
with  this  condition  thou  wouldest  that  everich  *  of 
them  should  have  twenty  pounds  a  year  to  love  and 
praise  Me  ;  and,  daughter,  this  great  charity  which  thou 
hast  to  them  in  thy  prayer  pleaseth  Me  right  well.    And, 

1  With-out-forth= outwardly.  Cf.  Chaucer,  The  Persones  Tale 
(ed.  Skeat,  §  lo):  "And  with-inne  the  hertes  of  folk  shal  be  the 
bytinge  conscience,  and  with-oute-forth  shal  be  the  world  al 
brenninge." 

2  Everyche=each  one. 


MARGERY   KEMPE   OF   LYNN  57 

daughter,  also  I  thank  thee  for  the  charity  which  thou 
hast  in  thy  prayer,  when  thou  prayest  for  all  Jews  and 
Saracens,  and  all  heathen  people  that  they  should  come 
to  Christian  faith,  that  My  name  might  be  magnified 
in  them.  Furthermore,  daughter,  I  thank  thee  for  the 
general  charity  that  thou  hast  to  all  people  that  be  now 
in  this  world,  and  to  all  those  that  are  to  come  unto  the 
world's  end ;  that  thou  wouldest  be  hacked  as  small  as 
flesh  to  the  pot  for  their  love,  so  that  T  would  by  thy 
death  save  them  all  from  damnation,  if  it  pleased  Me. 
And,  therefore,  daughter,  for  all  these  good  vnlls  and 
desires,  thou  shalt  have  full  meed  and  reward  in  heaven, 
believe  it  right  well  and  doubt  never  a  deal." 

She  said  :  "  Good  Lord,  I  would  be  laid  naked  upon  an 
hurdle  for  Thy  love,  all  men  to  wonder  on  me  and  to 
cast  filth  and  dirt  on  me,  and  be  drawen  from  town  to 
town  every  day  my  life  time,  if  Thou  were  pleased 
thereby,  and  no  man's  soul  hindered.  Thy  will  be 
fulfilled  and  not  mine." 

"  Daughter,"  He  said,  "  as  oftentimes  as  thou  sayest 
or  thinkest :  Worshipped  be  all  the  holy  places  in  Jeru- 
salem, where  Christ  suffered  hitter  pain  and.  passion  in  : 
thou  shalt  have  the  same  pardon  as  if  thou  were  there 
with  thy  bodily  presence,  both  to  thyself  and  to  all  those 
that  thou  wilt  give  to.^ 

1  According  to  the  legend,  certain  "indulgences,"  to  be  gained 
by  all  who  visited  the  Holy  Places  at  Jerusalem,  were  first  granted 


58       THE  CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

"  The  same  pardon  that  was  granted  thee  aforetime, 
it  was  confirmed  on  Saint  Nicholas  day,  that  is  to  say, 
playne  ^  remission ;  and  it  is  not  only  granted  to  thee, 
but  also  to  all  those  that  believe,  and  to  all  those  that 
shall  believe  unto  the  world's  end,  that  God  loveth  thee, 
and  shall  thank  God  for  thee.  If  they  will  forsake  their 
sin,  and  be  in  full  will  no  more  to  turn  again  thereto, 
but  be  sorry  and  heavy  for  that  they  have  done,  and  will 
do  due  penance  therefore,  they  shall  have  the  same  pardon 
that  is  granted  to  thyself  ;  and  that  is  all  the  pardon  that 
is  in  Jerusalem,^  as  was  granted  thee  when  thou  were  at 
Rafnys."  3 

That  day  that  she  suffered  no  tribulation  for  our  Lord's 
sake,  she  was  not  merry  nor  glad,  as  that  day  when  she 
suffered  tribulation. 

Our  Lord  Jesus  said  unto  her  :  "  Patience  is  more 
worth  than  miracles  doing.  Daughter,  it  is  more  pleasure 
to  Me  that  thou  suffer  despites,  scorns,  shames,  reproofs, 

by  Pope  St.  Sylvester  at  the  petition  of  Constantine  and  St.  Helena. 
There  seems  no  evidence  as  to  the  real  date  at  which  these  special 
indulgences  were  instituted.  Cf.  Amort,  De  origine,  progressit, 
valore,  ac  fructu  Indulgentiarum,  Augsburg,  1735,  pars  i.  pp. 
217  et  seq. 

1  Plenary. 

2  All  the  indulgences  attached  to  the  Holy  Places. 

3  Probably  Racheness  in  the  parish  of  South  Acre,  where 
"there  was  a  leper  hospital,  with  church  or  chapel  dedicated  to 
St.  Bartholomew,  of  early  foundation "  ( Victoria  History  of  the 
County  of  Norfolk,  ii.  p.  450). 


MARGERY   KEMPE   OF   LYNN  59 

wrongs,  and  diseases,  than  if  thine  head  were  stricken 
off  three  times  a  day  every  day  in  seven  year." 

"  Lord,"  she  said,  "  for  Thy  great  pain  have  mercy 
on  my  little  pain." 

When  she  was  in  great  trouble,  our  Lord  said : 
"  Daughter,  I  must  needs  comfort  thee,  for  now  thou 
hast  the  right  way  to  heaven.  By  this  way  came  I  and 
all  My  disciples ;  for  now  thou  shalt  know  the  better 
what  sorrow  and  shame  I  suffered  for  thy  love,  and  thou 
shalt  have  the  more  compassion  when  thou  thinkest  on 
My  passion." 

"  O  my  dear  worthy  Lord,"  said  she,  "  these  graces 
Thou  shouldest  shew  to  religious  men  and  to  priests." 

Our  Lord  said  to  her  again  :  "  Nay,  nay,  daughter,  for 
that  I  love  best  that  they  love  not,  and  that  is  shames, 
reproofs,  scorns,  and  despites  of  the  people ;  and  there- 
fore they  shall  not  have  this  grace  ;  for,  daughter,  he 
that  dreadeth  the  shames  of  this  world  may  not  per- 
fectly love  God." 

Here  endeth  a  short  treatise  of  a  devout  ancress 
called  Margery  Kemfe  of  Lynn 


IV 


HERE    FOLLOWETH    A    DEVOUT    TREATISE 

COMPILED    BY  MASTER    WALTER    HYLTON 

OF  THE  SONG  OF  ANGELS 


Here   followeth   a   Devout  Treatise   compiled   by 
Master  Walter  Hylton  of  the  Song  of  Angels 

DEAR  brother  in  Christ,  I  have  understanding  by 
thine  ow^n  speech,  and  also  by  telling  of  another 
man,  that  thou  yearnest  and  desirest  greatly  for  to  have 
more  knowledge  and  understanding  than  thou  hast  of 
angel's  song  and  heavenly  sound ;  what  it  is,  and  on  what 
wise  it  is  perceived  and  felt  in  a  man's  soul,  and  how  a 
man  may  be  siker  that  it  is  true  and  not  feigned;  and  how 
it  is  made  by  the  presence  of  the  good  angel,  and  not  by 
the  inputting  of  the  evil  angel.  These  things  thou  wouldest 
wete  of  me  ;  but,  soothly,  I  cannot  teU  thee  for  a  surety 
the  soothfastness  of  this  matter ;  nevertheless  somewhat, 
as  me  thinketh,  I  shall  shew  thee  in  a  short  word. 

Wete  thou  well  that  the  end  and  the  sovereignty  of 
perfection  standeth  in  very  onehead^  of  God  and  of  a 
man's  soul  by  perfect  charity.  This  onehead,  then,  is 
verily  made  when  the  mights  of  the  soul  are  reformed  by 
grace  to  the  dignity  and  the  state  of  the  first  condition ; 
that  is,  when  the  mind  is  stabled  sadly ,2  without  changing 

1  In  true  union.  2  Established  firmly. 

63 


64       THE    CELL   OF    SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

and  vagation,^  in  God  and  ghostly  things,  and  when  the 
reason  is  cleared  from  all  worldly  and  fleshly  beholdings, 
and  from  all  bodily  imaginations,  figures,  and  fantasies  of 
creatures,  and  is  illumined  by  grace  to  behold  God  and 
ghostly  things,  and  when  the  will  and  the  affection  is 
purified  and  cleansed  from  all  fleshly,  kindly,  and  worldly 
love,  and  is  inflamed  with  brenning  love  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.     This  wonderful  onehead  may  not  be  fulfilled  ^ 
perfectly,  continually,  and  wholly  in  this  life,  for  the 
corruption  of  the  flesh,  but  only  in  the  bliss  of  heaven. 
Nevertheless,  the  nearer  that  a  soul  in  this  present  life 
may  come  to  this  onehead,  the  more  perfect  it  is.     For 
the  more  that  it  is  reformed  by  grace  to  the  image  and 
the  likeness  of  its  Creator  here  on  this  wise ;    the  more 
joy  and  bliss  shall  it  have  in  heaven.     Our  Lord  God  is 
an  endless  being  without  changing,  almighty  without 
failing,  sovereign  wisdom,  light,  soothness  without  error 
or  darkness  ;   sovereign  goodness,  love,  peace,  and  sweet- 
ness.   Then  the  more  that  a  soul  is  united,  fastened, 
conformed,  and  joined  to  our  Lord,  the  more  stable  and 
mighty  it  is,  the  more  wise  and  clear,  good  and  peaceable, 
loving  and  more  virtuous  it  is,  and  so  it  is  more  perfect. 
For  a  soul  that  hath  by  the  grace  of  Jesu,  and  long  travail 
of  bodily  and  ghostly  exercise,  overcome  and  destroyed 

1  Wandering. 

2  So  Horstman.    Pepwell  reads :  "  With  this  wonderful  onehede 
ne  may  none  be  fulfilled. " 


THE   SONG   OF   ANGELS  65 

concupiscences,  and  passions,  and  unskilful  stirrings^ 
within  itself,  and  without  in  the  sensuality,  and  is  clothed 
all  in  virtues,  as  in  meekness  and  mildness,  in  patience  and 
softness,  in  ghostly  strength  and  righteousness,  in  con- 
tinence, in  wisdom,  in  truth,  hope  and  charity  ;  then  it 
is  made  perfect,  as  it  may  be  in  this  life.  Much  comfort 
it  receiveth  of  our  Lord,  not  only  inwardly  in  its  own 
privy  substance,^  by  virtue  of  the  onehead  to  our  Lord 
that  lieth  In  knowing  and  loving  of  God,  in  light  and 
ghostly  brenning  of  Him,  in  transforming  of  the  soul  in 
to  the  Godhead  ;  but  also  many  other  comforts,  savours, 
sweetnesses,  and  wonderful  feelings  on  sere  ^  or  sundry 
manners,  after  that  our  Lord  vouchethsafe  to  visit  His 
creatures  here  in  earth,  and  after  that  the  soul  profiteth 
and  waxeth  in  charity.  Some  soul,  by  virtue  of  charity 
that  God  giveth  it,  is  so  cleansed,  that  all  creatures,  and 
all  that  he  heareth,  or  seeth,  or  feeleth  by  any  of  his  wits, 
turneth  him  to  comfort  and  gladness  ;  and  the  sensuality 
receiveth  new  savour  and  sweetness  in  all  creatures.* 
And  right  as  beforetime  the  likings  in  the  sensuality  were 

1  Unreasonable  impulses. 

2  Secret  nature.  Cf.  Mother  Juliana,  Revelations  of  Divine 
Love,  xiv.  cap.  46:  "And  our  kindly  substance. is  now  blessed- 
fully  in  God." 

3  Divers. 

4  Cf.  De  Imitatione  Christi,  ii.  4 :  "If  thine  heart  were  right, 
then  every  creature  would  be  a  mirror  of  life,  and  a  book  of  holy 
doctrine.  There  is  no  creature  so  small  and  vile,  as  not  to  repre- 
sent the  goodness  of  God." 

E 


66      THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

fleshly,  vain,  and  vicious,  for  the  pain  of  the  original  sin  ; 
right  so  now  they  are  made  ghostly  and  clean,  without 
bitterness  and  biting  of  conscience.  And  this  is  the 
goodness  of  our  Lord,  that  sith  the  soul  is  punished  in  the 
sensuality,  and  the  flesh  is  partner  of  the  pain,  that  after- 
ward the  soul  be  comforted  in  the  sensuality,  and  the  flesh 
be  fellow  of  joy  and  comfort  with  the  soul,  not  fleshly, 
but  ghostly,  as  he  was  fellow  in  tribulation  and  pain. 
This  is  the  freedom  and  the  lordship,  the  dignity,  and 
the  worship  that  a  man  ^  hath  over  all  creatures,  the 
which  dignity  he  may  so  recover  by  grace  here,  that  every 
creature  savour  to  him  as  it  is.  And  that  is,  when  by 
grace  he  seeth,  he  heareth,  he  feeleth  only  God  in  all 
creatures.  On  this  manner  of  wise  a  soul  is  made  ghostly 
in  the  sensuality  by  abundance  of  charity,  that  is,  in  the 
substance  of  the  soul.  Also,  our  Lord  comforteth  a  soul 
by  angel's  song.  What  that  song  is,  it  may  not  be  de- 
scribed by  no  bodily  likeness,  for  it  is  ghostly,  and  above 
all  manner  of  imagination  and  reason.  It  may  be  felt 
and  perceived  in  a  soul,  but  it  may  not  be  shewed. 
Nevertheless,  I  shall  speak  thereof  to  thee  as  me  thinketh. 
When  a  soul  is  purified  by  the  love  of  God,  illumined  by 
wisdom,  stabled  by  the  might  of  God,  then  is  the  eye 
of  the  soul  opened  to  behold  ghostly  things,  as  virtues  and 
angels  and  holy  souls,  and  heavenly  things.^    Then  is 

1  Horstman  reads :  "  a  mans  saule." 

2  So  Horstman:   Pepwell  reads:   "as  virtues  in  angels  and  in 
holy  souls  and  in  heavenly  things." 


THE    SONG   OF   ANGELS  e^ 

the  soul  able  because  of  cleanness  to  feel  the  touching, 
the  speaking  of  good  angels.  This  touching  and  speaking, 
it  is  ghostly  and  not  bodily.^  For  when  the  soul  is  lifted 
and  ravished  out  of  the  sensuality,  and  out  of  mind  of  any 
earthly  things,  then  in  great  fervour  of  love  and  light  (if 
our  Lord  vouchsafe)  the  soul  may  hear  and  feel  heavenly 
sound,  made  by  the  presence  of  angels  in  loving  of  God. 
Not  that  this  song  of  angels  is  the  sovereign  joy  of  the 
soul ;  but  for  the  difference  that  is  between  a  man's  soul 
in  flesh  and  an  angel,  because  of  uncleanness,  a  soul  may 
not  hear  it,  but  by  ravishing  in  love,  and  needeth  for 
to  be  purified  vi^ell  clean,  and  fulfilled  of  much  charity, 
or  ^  it  were  able  for  to  hear  heavenly  sound.  For  the 
sovereign  and  the  essential  joy  is  in  the  love  of  God  by 
Himself  and  for  Himself,  and  the  secondary  is  in  com- 
muning and  beholding  of  angels  and  ghostly  creatures. 
For  right  as  a  soul,  in  understanding  of  ghostly  things,  is 
often  times  touched  and  moved  through  bodily  imagina- 
tion by  working  of  angels ;  as  Ezekiel  the  prophet  did 
see  in  bodily  imagination  the  soothfastness  of  God's 
privities ;  *  right  so,  in  the  love  of  God,  a  soul  by  the 
presence  of  angels  is  ravished  out  of  mind  of  all  earthly 
and  fleshly  things  in  to  an  heavenly  joy,  to  hear  angel's 
song  and  heavenly  sound,  after  that  the  charity  is  more 

1  Pep  well  omits  the  "not." 

2  Before. 

3  The  truth  of  God's  hidden  mysteries. 


68       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

or  less.^  Now,  then,  me  thinketh  that  there  may  no  soul 
feel  verily  angel's  song  nor  heavenly  sound,  but  he  be  in 
perfect  charity ;  though  all  that  are  in  perfect  charity 
have  not  felt  it,  but  only  that  soul' that  is  so  purified  in 
the  fire  of  love  that  all  earthly  savour  is  brent  out  of  it, 
and  all  mean  letting  ^  between  the  soul  and  the  cleanness 
of  angels  is  broken  and  put  away  from  it.  Then  soothly 
may  he  sing  a  new  song,  and  soothly  he  may  hear  a 
blessed  heavenly  sound,  and  angel's  song  without  deceit 
or  feigning.  Our  Lord  woteth  where  that  soul  is  that, 
for  abundance  of  brenning  love,  is  worthy  to  hear  angel's 
song.  Who  so  then  will  hear  angel's  song,  and  not  be 
deceived  by  feigning  of  himself,  nor  by  imagination, 
nor  by  the  illusion  of  the  enemy,  him  behoveth  for  to 
have  perfect  charity  ;  and  that  is  when  all  vain  love  and 
dread,  vain  joy  and  sorrow,  is  cast  out  of  the  heart,  so 
that  it  love  nothing  but  God,  nor  dread  nothing  but 
God,  nor  joyeth,  nor  sorroweth  nothing  but  in  God, 
or  for  God.  Who  so  might  by  the  grace  of  God  go  this 
way,  he  should  not  err.  Nevertheless,  some  men  are 
deceived  by  their  own  imagination,  or  by  the  illusion  of 
the  enemy  in  this  manner.^  Some  man,  when  he  hath 
long  travailed  bodily  and  ghostily  in  destroying  of  sins 
and  getting  of  virtues,  and  peradventure  hath  gotten  by 

1  According  to  the  measure  of  its  love. 

2  All  intervening  hindrance. 

'  Horstman  reads:  "  matter." 


THE    SONG   OF   ANGELS  69 

grace  a  somedeaP  rest,  and  a  clarity  in  conscience, 
anon  he  leaveth  prayers,  readings  of  holy  scriptures,  and 
meditations  of  the  passion  of  Christ,  and  the  mind  of  his 
wretchedness  ;  and,  or  ^  he  be  called  of  God,  he  gathereth 
his  own  wits  by  violence  to  seek  and  to  behold  heavenly 
things,  or  his  eye  be  made  ghostly  by  grace,  and  over- 
travaileth  by  imaginations  his  wits,  and  by  indiscreet 
travailing  turneth  the  brains  in  his  head,  and  forbreaketh  ^ 
the  mights  and  the  wits  of  the  soul  and  of  the  body. 
And  then,  for  feebleness  of  the  brain,  him  thinketh  that 
he  heareth  wonderful  sounds  and  songs ;  and  that  is 
nothing  else  but  a  fantasy,  caused  of  troubling  of  the 
brain ;  as  a  man  that  is  in  a  frenzy,  him  thinketh  that 
he  heareth  and  seeth  that  none  other  man  doth  ;  and  all 
is  but  vanity  and  fantasies  of  the  head,  or  else  it  is  by 
working  of  the  wicked  enemy  that  feigneth  such  sounds 
in  his  hearing. 

For  if  a  man  have  any  presumption  in  his  fantasies 
and  in  his  workings,  and  thereby  falleth  in  to  indiscreet 
imagination,  as  it  were  in  a  frenzy,  and  is  not  ordered 
nor  ruled  of  grace,  nor  comforted  by  ghostly  strength, 
the  devil  entereth  in,  and  by  his  false  illuminations, 
and  by  his  false  sounds,  and  by  his  false  sweetnesses,  he 
deceiveth  a  man's  soul. 

And  of  this  false  ground  springeth  errors,  and  heresies, 

»  A  little.  8  Before.  «  Overtaxes. 


70       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

false  prophecies,  presumptions,  and  false  reasonings, 
blasphemings,  and  slanderings,  and  many  other  mischiefs. 
And,  therefore,  if  thou  see  any  man  ghostly  occupied  fall 
in  any  of  these  sins  and  these  deceits,  or  in  frenzies, 
wete  thou  well  that  he  never  heard  nor  felt  angel's 
song  nor  heavenly  sound.  For,  soothly,  he  that  heareth 
verily  angel's  song,  he  is  made  so  wise  that  he  shall  never 
err  by  fantasy,  nor  by  indiscretion,  nor  by  no  slight  * 
of  working  of  the  devil. 

Also,  some  men  feel  in  their  hearts  as  it  were  a  ghostly 
sound,  and  sweet  songs  in  divers  manners ;  and  this  is 
commonly  good,  and  sometime  it  may  turn  to  deceit. 
This  sound  is  felt  on  this  wise.  Some  man  setteth  the 
thought  of  his  heart  only  in  the  name  of  Jesu,  and  stead- 
fastly holdeth  it  thereto,  and  in  short  time  him  thinketh 
that  that  name  turneth  him  to  great  comfort  and  sweet- 
ness, and  him  thinketh  that  the  name  soundeth  in  his 
heart  delectably,  as  it  were  a  song ;  and  the  virtue  of 
this  liking  is  so  mighty,  that  it  draweth  in  all  the  wits  of 
the  soul  thereto.  Who  so  may  feel  this  sound  and  this 
sweetness  verily  in  his  heart,  wete  thou  well  that  it  is  of 
God,^  and,  as  long  as  he  is  meek,  he  shall  not  be  deceived. 
But  this  is  not  angel's  song ;  but  it  is  a  song  of  the  soul 
by  virtue  of  the  name  and  by  touching  of  the  good  angel.* 

1  Craft. 

*  Horstman  reads :  "  wete  he  wele." 

•  This  passage  is  defective  in  Pepwell.     . 


THE   SONG   OF   ANGELS  71 

For  when  a  soul  offereth  him  to  Jesu  truly  and  meekly, 
putting  all  his  trust  and  his  desire  in  Him,  and  busily 
keepeth  Him  in  his  mind,  our  Lord  Jesu,  when  He  will, 
pureth'-  the  affection  of  the  soul,  and  filleth  it,  and 
feedeth  it  with  sweetness  of  Himself,  and  maketh  His 
name  in  the  feeling  of  the  soul  ^  as  honey,  and  as  song, 
and  as  any  thing  that  is  delectable  ;  so  that  it  liketh  the 
soul  evermore  for  to  cry  Jesu^  Jesu.  And  not  only  he 
hath  comfort  in  this,  but  also  in  psalms  and  hymns,  and 
anthems  of  holy  Church,  that  the  heart  singeth  them 
sweetly,  devoutly,  and  freely,  without  any  travail  of  the 
soul,  or  bitterness  in  the  same  time,^  and  notes  that  holy 
Church  useth.  This  is  good,  and  of  the  gift  of  God, 
for  the  substance  of  this  feeling  lies  in  the  love  of  Jesu, 
which  is  fed  and  lightened  *  by  such  manner  of  songs. 
Nevertheless,  in  this  manner  of  feeling,  a  soul  may  be 
deceived  by  vain  glory  ;  not  in  that  time  that  the  affec- 
tion singeth  to  Jesu,  and  loveth  Jesu  in  sweetness  of  Him, 
but  afterward,  when  it  ceaseth  and  the  heart  keeleth  ^ 
of  the  love  of  Jesu,  then  entereth  in  vain  glory.  Also 
some  man  is  deceived  on  this  wise  :  he  heareth  well  say 

J  MS.  Dd.  V.  ss,  ed.  Horstman,  has  :  "purges." 

2  Pepwell  has :  "in  feeling  of  the  sound." 

»  MS.  Dd.  V.  55,  ed,  Horstman,  reads:  "toune"  (i.e.  tone), 

*  Illumined. 

"  Cools  down,  grows  cold.  Also  construed  with  "from."  Cf. 
Richard  RoUe,  Psalter  (ed.  H.  R.  Bramley,  p.  156):  "He  gars 
sa  many  kele  fra  godis  luf." 


72       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

that  it  is  good  to  have  Jesu  in  his  mind,  or  any  other  good 
word  of  God ;  then  he  straineth  his  heart  mightily  to 
that  name,  and  by  a  custom  he  hath  it  nearhand  alway 
in  his  mind  ;  and,  nevertheless,  he  feeleth  not  thereby  in 
his  affection  sweetness,  nor  light  of  knowing  in  his  reason, 
but  only  a  naked  mind  of  God,^  or  of  Jesu,  or  of  Mary, 
or  of  any  other  good  word.  Here  may  be  deceit,  not  for 
it  is  evil  for  to  have  Jesu  in  mind  on  this  wise,  but  if  he 
this  feeling  and  this  mind,  that  is  only  his  own  working 
by  custom,  hold  it  a  special  visitation  of  our  Lord,^  and 
think  it  more  than  it  is.  For  wete  thou  well  that  a  naked 
mind  or  a  naked  imagination  of  Jesu,  or  of  any  ghostly 
thing,  without  sweetness  of  love  in  the  affection,  or 
without  light  of  knowing  in  reason,  it  is  but  a  blindness, 
and  a  way  to  deceit,  if  a  man  hold  it  in  his  own  sight 
more  than  it  is.  Therefore  I  hold  it  siker  ^  that  he  be 
meek  in  his  own  feeling,  and  hold  this  mind  in  regard 
nought,  till  he  may,  by  custom  and  using  of  this  mind, 
feel  the  fire  of  love  in  his  affection,  and  the  light  of  know- 
ing in  his  reason.  Lo,  I  have  told  thee  in  this  matter  a 
little,  as  me  thinketh ;  not  affirming  that  this  sufficeth, 
nor  that  this  is  the  soothfastness  in  this  matter.    But  if 

1  A  mere  abstract  thought  cf  God. 

2  Construe :  "  But  if  he  hold  this  feeling  and  this  mind  (that  is 
only  his  own  working  by  custom)  to  be  a  special  visitation." 

»  Surer,  safer. 


THE   SONG   OF   ANGELS  73 

thou  think  it  otherwise,  or  else  any  other  man  savour  by 
grace  the  contrary  hereto,  I  leave  this  saying,  and  give 
stead  to  him ;  it  sufficeth  to  me  for  to  live  in  truth  ^ 
principally,  and  not  in  feeling. 

1  Pepwell  adds :  "  and  in  faith." 


Explicit 


HERE  AFTER  FOLLOWETH  A  DEVOUT  TREA- 
TISE CALLED  THE  EPISTLE  OF  PRAYER 


Here   after  followeth   a  Devout   Treatise    called 
THE  Epistle  of  Prayer 

GHOSTLY  friend  in  God,  as  touching  thine  asking  of 
me,  how  thou  shalt  rule  thine  heart  in  the  time  of 
thy  prayer,  I  answer  unto  thee  thus  feebly  as  I  can.  And  I 
say  that  me  thinketh  that  it  should  be  full  speedful  unto 
thee  at  the  first  beginning  of  thy  prayer,  what  prayer  so 
ever  it  be,  long  or  short,  for  to  make  it  full  known  unto 
thine  heart,  without  any  feigning,  that  thou  shalt  die  at 
the  end  of  thy  prayer.^  And  wete  thou  well  that  this  is  no 
feigned  thought  that  I  tell  thee,  and  see  why  ;  for  truly 
there  is  no  man  living  in  this  life  that  dare  take  upon  him 
to  say  the  contrary  :  that  is  to  say,  that  thou  shalt  live 
longer  than  thy  prayer  is  in  doing.  And,  therefore,  thou 
mayst  think  it  safely,  and  I  counsel  thee  to  do  it.  For, 
if  thou  do  it,  thou  shalt  see  that,  what  for  the  general 
sight  that  thou  hast  of  thy  wretchedness,  and  this  special 
sight  of  the  shortness  of  time  of  amendment,  it  shall  bring 
in  to  thine  heart  a  very  working  of  dread. 

1  The  MSS.  add:  "And  bot  if  thou  spede  thee  the  rather  or 
thou  come  to  the  ende  of  thy  prayer." 
77 


78       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

And  this  working  shalt  thou  feel  ^  verily  folden  in  thine 
heart,  but  if  it  so  be  (the  which  God  forbid)  that  thou 
flatter  and  fage  ^  thy  false  fleshly  blind  heart  with  leasings  ' 
and  feigned  behightings,  that  thou  shalt  longer  live.* 
For  though  it  may  be  sooth  in  thee  in  deed  that  thou 
shalt  live  longer,  yet  it  is  ever  in  thee  a  false  leasing  for 
to  think  it  before,  and  for  to  behight  ^  it  to  thine  heart. 
For  why,  the  soothfastness  of  this  thing  is  only  in  God, 
and  in  thee  is  but  a  blind  abiding  of  His  will,  without 
certainty  of  one  moment,  the  which  is  as  little  or  less 
than  a  twinkling  of  an  eye.  And,  therefore,  if  thou  wilt 
pray  wisely  as  the  prophet  biddeth  when  he  saith  in  the 
psalm  :  Psallite  sapienter  ;  ®  look  that  thou  get  thee  in  the 
beginning  this  very  working  of  dread.  For,  as  the  same 
prophet  saith  in  another  psalm  :  Inttium  saptentiae  timor 
Domini  ;  '  that  is :  "  The  beginning  of  wisdom  is  the 
dread  of  our  Lord  God."  But  for  that  there  is  no  full 
sikerness  standing  ^  upon  dread  only,  for  fear  of  sinking 
in  to  over  much  heaviness,  therefore  shalt  thou  knit  to 
thy  first  thought  this  other  thought  that  followeth. 

1  Pepwell  reads :  "find."  ^  Coax,  beguile, 

s  Falsehoods. 

4  The  MSS.  read  :  "  behetynges  of  lenger  leuyng." 

5  Promise. 

6  Ps.  xlvi.  8  (Vulgate),  xlvii.  7  (A.V.):  "Sing  ye  praises  with 
understanding." 

7  Ps.  cxi.  10  (ex.  10  Vulgate). 

8  So  Pepwell ;  Harl.  MS.  674  reads :  "  Bot  forthi  that  there  is  no 
sekir  stonding." 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  79 

Thou  shalt  think  steadfastly  that  if  thou  may,  through 
the  grace  of  God,  distinctly  pronounce  the  words  of  that 
prayer,  and  win  to  the  end  thereof,  or  if  thou  die  before 
thou  come  to  the  end,  so  that  thou  do  that  in  thee  is, 
that  then  it  shall  be  accepted  of  thee  unto  God,  as  a  full 
aseeth  ^  of  all  thy  recklessness  from  the  beginning  of  thy 
life  unto  that  moment.  I  mean  thus  :  standing  that  thou 
hast  before  time,  after  thy  conning  and  thy  conscience, 
lawfully  amended  thee  after  the  common  ordinance  of 
holy  Church  in  confession ;  this  short  prayer,  so  little 
as  it  is,  shall  be  accepted  of  thee  unto  God  for  thy  full 
salvation,  if  thou  then  didst  die,  and  to  the  great  increase 
of  thy  perfection,  if  thou  didst  live  longer.  This  is  the 
goodness  of  God,  the  which,  as  the  prophet  saitli,  forsaketh 
none  that  truly  trusteth  in  Him  with  will  of  amendment ;  ^ 
and  sith  that  all  amendment  standeth  in  two — that  is, 
in  leaving  of  evil  and  doing  of  good — means  to  get  these 
two  are  none  readier  than  the  ghostly  working  of  these 
two  thoughts  touched  before.  For  what  reaveth  from 
a  soul  ^  more  readily  the  aflFection  of  sinning,  than  doth 
a  true  working  of  dread  of  death  ?     And  what  moveth  a 

1  Pepwell  adds  in  explanation :  "  or  amends  "  ;  i.e.  satisfaction. 
Cf.  Langland,  Piers  the  Plowinan,  B.  xvii.  237 :  ' '  And  if  it  suffice 
noughte  for  assetz";  and  Wyclif,  Pistle  on  Cristetnasse  Day 
(Select  English  Works,  ed.  T.  Arnold,  ii.  p.  237):  "And  thus, 
sith  aseeth  muste  be  maad  for  Adams  synne." 

2  Ps.  xxxiv.  22  (Vulgate  xxxiii.  23). 

3  The  MSS.  read :  "  fro  a  lyf." 


8o       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

soul  ^  more  fervently  to  working  of  good,  than  doth  a 
certain  hope  in  the  mercy  and  the  goodness  of  God,  the 
which  is  brought  in  by  this  second  thought  ?  For  why, 
the  ghostly  feeling  of  this  second  thought,  when  it  is  thus 
truly  joined  to  the  first,  shall  be  to  thee  a  sure  stafiF  of 
hope  to  hold  thee  by  in  all  thy  good  doings.  And  by 
this  staff  thou  mayst  sikerly  climb  in  to  the  high  mount 
of  perfection,  that  is  to  say,  to  the  perfect  love  of  God  ; 
though  all  this  beginning  be  imperfect,  as  thou  shalt 
hear  after.  For,  what  for  the  general  sight  that  thou 
hast  of  the  mercy  and  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  this 
special  experience  that  thou  feelest  of  His  mercy  and  His 
goodness  in  this  acceptation  of  this  little  short  service 
for  so  long  recklessness,  as  it  were  in  a  full  aseeth  of  so 
much  recklessness  (as  it  is  said  before),  it  may  not  be  but 
that  thou  shalt  feel  a  great  stirring  of  love  unto  Him  that 
is  so  good  and  so  merciful  unto  thee — as  the  steps  of  thy 
staff,  hope,  plainly  sheweth  unto  thee  in  the  time  of  thy 
prayer,  if  thou  do  it  duly  as  I  have  told  thee  before.^ 
The  ghostly  experience  of  the  proof  of  this  working 
standeth  all  in  a  reverent  affection  that  a  man  hath  to 
God  in  the  time  of  his  prayer,  caused  of  this  dread  in  the 
ground  of  this  work,  and  of  this  stirring  of  love,  the 

1  TheMSS.  read:  "alyf." 

2  So  Harl.  MS.  674,  Pepwell  reads :  "  Also  the  steps  of  thy  staff 
Hope  plainly  will  shew  unto  thee  if  thou  do  it  duly,  as  I  have  told 
thee  before,  or  not." 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  8i 

which  is  brought  in  by  the  ghostly  steps  of  this  staff  hope, 
touched  before.  For  why,  reverence  is  nought  else  but 
dread  and  love  medled  together  with  a  staff  of  certainhope. 
Me  thinketh  that  the  proof  of  this  working  is  devotion  ; 
for  devotion  is  nought  else,  as  saint  Thomas  the  doctor 
saith,  but  a  readiness  of  man's  will  to  do  those  things 
that  longeth  to  the  service  of  God.^  Each  man  prove 
in  himself,  for  he  that  doth  God's  service  in  this  manner, 
he  feeleth  how  ready  that  his  will  is  thereto.  Me  thinketh 
that  saint  Bernard  accordeth  to  this  working,  where  he 
saith  that  all  things  should  be  done  swiftly  and  gladly. 
And  see  why  :  swiftly  for  dread,  and  gladly  for  hope,  and 
lovely  trust  in  His  mercy.  [And  what  more  ?  Sikerly, 
I  had  lever  have  his  meed  that  lasteth  in  such  doing, 
though  all  he  never  did  bodily  penance  in  this  life,  but 
only  that  that  is  enjoined  to  him  of  holy  Church,  than  of 
all  the  penance-doers  that  have  been  in  this  life  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  unto  this  day  without  this  manner 
of  doing.  I  say  not  that  the  naked  thinking  of  these 
two  thoughts  is  so  meedful ;  but  that  reverent  affection, 
to  the  which  bringing  in  these  two  thoughts  are  sovereign 
means  on  man's  party,  that  is  it  that  is  so  meedful  as  I 
say.2]    And  this  is  only  it  by  itself,  without  any  other 

1  Summa  Theologica,  II. -ii.  Q.  82,  A.  i :  "  Devotio  nihil  aliud 
esse  videtur,  quam  voluntas  quaedam  prompte  tradendi  se  ad  ea, 
quae  pertinent  ad  Dei  famulatum." 

2  The  whole  passage  included  in  square  brackets  is  omitted  in 
Pepwell,  but  is  identical  in  the  two  MSS. 

r 


82       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

manner  of  doing  (as  is  fasting,  waking,  sharp  wearing, 
and  all  these  other),  the  which  only  by  itself  pleaseth 
almighty  God,  and  deserveth  to  have  meed  of  Him. 
And  it  were  impossible  any  soul  to  have  meed  of  God 
without  this,  and  all  after  the  quantity  of  this  shall  stand 
the  quantity  of  meed  ;  for  whoso  hath  much  of  this, 
much  meed  shall  he  have,  and  whoso  hath  less  of  this, 
less  meed  shall  he  have.  And  all  these  other  things,  as 
is  fasting,  waking,  sharp  wearing,  and  all  these  other, 
they  are  needful  ^  in  as  much  as  they  are  helply  to  get 
this,  so  that  without  this  they  are  nought.  And  this 
without  them  is  sometime  sufficient  at  the  full  by  it- 
self, and  it  is  often  times  full  worthily  had  and  come  to 
of  full  many  without  any  of  the  others.  All  this  I  say 
for  that  I  would  by  this  knowing  that  thou  charged  and 
commended  each  thing  after  that  it  is  :  the  more,  "  the 
more,"  and  the  less,  "  the  less  "  ;  for  oft  times  unknowing 
is  cause  of  much  error.  And  oft  times  unknowing  maketh 
men  to  charge  more  and  commend  more  bodily  exercise 
(as  is  fasting,  waking,  sharp  wearing,  and  all  these  others) 
than  they  do  ghostly  exercise  in  virtues  or  in  this  reverent 
affection  touched  before.  And,  therefore,  in  more  decla- 
ration of  the  meed  and  the  worthiness  of  this  reverent 
affection,  I  shall  say  a  Httle  more  than  I  yet  have  said, 
so  that,  by  such  declaring,  thou  mayst  be  better  learned 
in  this  working  than  thou  yet  art. 

1  So  Harl.  MS.  2373;  Hart,  MS.  674  reads:  "  medefiU."   • 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  83 

All  this  manner  of  working  beforesaid  of  this  reverent 
affection,  when  it  is  brought  in  by  these  two  thoughts  of 
dread  and  of  hope  coming  before,  may  well  be  likened  to 
a  tree  that  were  full  of  fruit ;  of  the  which  tree,  dread  is 
that  party  that  is  within  in  the  earth,  that  is,  the  root. 
And  hope  is  that  party  that  is  above  the  earth,  that  is,  the 
body^  wdth  the  boughs.  In  that  that  hope  is  certain 
and  stable,  it  is  the  body  ;  in  that  it  stirreth  men  to  works 
of  love,  it  is  the  boughs ;  but  this  reverent  affection  is 
evermore  the  fruit,  and  then,  evermore  as  long  as  the  fruit 
is  fastened  to  the  tree,^  it  hath  in  party  a  green  smell  of 
the  tree  ;  but  when  it  hath  been  a  certain  time  departed 
from  the  tree  and  is  full  ripe,  then  it  hath  lost  all  the 
taste  of  the  tree,  and  is  king's  meat  [that  was  before  but 
knave's  meat].^  In  this  time  it  is  that  this  reverent 
affection  is  so  meedful  as  I  said.  And,  therefore,  shape 
thee  for  to  depart  this  fruit  from  the  tree,  and  for  to 
offer  it  up  by  itself  to  the  high  King  of  heaven ;  and 
then  shalt  thou  be  cleped  God's  own  child,  loving  Him 
with  a  chaste  love  for  Himself,  and  not  for  His  goods.* 
I  mean  thus  :  though  all  that  the  innumerable  good 
deeds,  the  which  almighty  God  of  His  gracious  goodness 
hath  shewed  to  each  soul  in  this  life,  be  sufficient  causes 

1  The  trunk. 

2  Pepwell  inserts  :  "it  is  but  churl's  meat,  for." 

3  Not  in  Pepwell. 

*  Pepwell  reads  :  "and  for  nothing  else." 


84       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

at  the  full  and  more,  to  each  soul  to  love  Him  for,  with 
all  his  mind,  with  all  his  wit,  and  with  all  his  will ;  yet 
if  it  might  be,  that  may  no  wise  be,  that  a  soul  were  as 
mighty,  as  worthy,  and  as  witty  as  all  the  saints  and  angels 
that  are  in  heaven  gathered  in  one,  and  had  never  taken 
this  worthiness  of  God,^  or  to  whom  that  God  had  never 
shewed  kindness  in  this  life ;  yet  this  soul,  seeing  the 
loveliness  of  God  in  Himself,  and  the  abundance  thereof, 
should  be  ravished  over  his  might  for  to  love  God,  till 
the  heart  brast ;  so  lovely  and  so  liking,  so  good  and  so 
glorious  He  is  in  Himself. 

0  how  wonderful  a  thing  and  how  high  a  thing  is  the 
love  of  God  for  to  speak  of,  of  the  which  no  man  may 
speak  perfectly  to  the  understanding  of  the  least  party 
thereof,  but  by  impossible  ensamples,  and  passing  the 
understanding  of  man !  And  thus  it  is  that  I  mean 
when  I  say  loving  Him  with  a  chaste  love  for  Himself, 
and  not  for  His  goods  ;  ^  not  as  if  I  said  (though  all  I  well 
said)  much  for  His  goods,  but  without  comparison  more 
for  Himself.  For,  if  I  shall  more  highly  speak  in  declaring 
of  my  meaning  of  the  perfection  and  of  the  meed  of  this 

1  Had  never  received  it  from  Him. 

2  Pure  Love,  or  Charity,  which  ' '  attains  to  God  Himself,  that 
it  may  abide  in  Him,  not  that  any  advantage  may  accrue  to  us 
from  Him"  (St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summa  Theologica,  H.-ii. 
Q.  23,  A.  6).  For  the  whole  doctrine  of  "Pure;Love  or  Disin- 
terested Religion,"  cf.  F.  von  Hiigel,  The  Mystical  Element  of 
Religion,  ii.  pp.  152-181. 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  85 

reverent  affection,  I  say  that  a  soul  touched  in  affection 
hy  the  sensible  presence  of  God,  as  He  is  in  Himself, 
and  in  a  perfect  soul  illumined  in  the  reason,  by  the 
clear  beam  of  everlasting  light,  the  which  is  God,  for  to 
see  and  for  to  feel  the  loveliness  ^  of  God  in  Himself, 
hath  for  that  time  and  for  that  moment  lost  all  the  mind 
of  any  good  deed  or  of  any  kindness  that  ever  God  did 
to  him  in  this  life — so  that  cause  for  to  love  God  for 
feeleth  he  or  seeth  he  none  in  that  time,  other  than  is 
God  Himself.  So  that  though  all  it  may  be  said  in  speak- 
ing of  the  common  perfection,  that  the  great  goodness 
and  the  great  kindness  that  God  hath  shewed  to  us  in 
this  life  are  high  and  worthy  causes  for  to  love  God  for ; 
yet  having  beholding  to  the  point  and  the  prick  of  per- 
fection (to  the  which  I  purpose  to  draw  thee  in  my  mean- 
ing, and  in  the  manner  of  this  writing),  a  perfect  lover  of 
God,  for  dread  of  letting  ^  of  his  perfection,  seeketh  now, 
that  is  to  say,  in  the  point  of  perfection,  none  other  cause 
for  to  love  God  for,  but  God  Himself ;  so  that  by  this 
meaning  I  say,  that  chaste  love  is  to  love  God  for  Himself 
and  not  for  His  goods.  And  therefore,  following  the  rule 
of  mine  ensample,  shape  thee  to  depart  the  fruit  from 
the  tree,  and  for  to  offer  it  up  by  itself  unto  the  King  of 
heaven,  that  thy  love  be  chaste ;  for  evermore  as  long 
as  thou  offrest  Him  this  fruit  green  and  hanging  on  the 

1  So  both  MSS. ;  Pepwell  reads :  "  blessedness." 
8  Hindering  or  marring. 


86       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

tree,  thou  mayst  well  be  likened  to  a  woman  that  is  not 
chaste,  for  she  loveth  a  man  more  for  his  goods  than  for 
himself.  And  see  why  that  I  liken  thee  thus ;  for  it 
seemeth  that  dread  of  thy  death  and  shortness  of  time, 
with  hope  of  forgiveness  of  all  thy  recklessness,  maketh 
thee  to  be  in  God's  service  so  reverent  as  thou  art.  And 
if  it  so  be,  soothly  then  hath  thy  fruit  a  green  smell 
of  the  tree ;  and  though  all  it  pleaseth  God  in  party, 
nevertheless,  yet  it  pleaseth  Him  not  perfectly,  and  that 
is  for  thy  love  is  not  yet  chaste. 

Chaste  love  is  that  when  thou  askest  of  God  neither 
releasing  of  pain,  nor  increasing  of  meed,  nor  yet  sweet- 
ness in  His  love  in  this  life  ;  but  if  it  be  any  certain  time 
that  thou  covetest  sweetness  as  for  a  refreshing  of  thy 
ghostly  mights,  that  they  fail  not  in  the  way ;  but  thou 
askest  of  God  nought  but  Himself,  and  neither  thou 
reckest  nor  lookest  after  whether  thou  shalt  be  in  pain  or 
in  bliss,  so  tliat  thou  have  Him  that  thou  lovest — this  is 
chaste  love,  this  is  perfect  love.^  And  therefore  shape 
thee  for  to  depart  the  fruit  from  the  tree  ;  that  is  to  say, 
this  reverent  affection  from  the  thoughts  of  dread  and  of 
hope  coming  before ;  so  that  thou  mayst  offer  it  ripe 
and  chaste  unto  God  by  itself,  not  caused  of  any  thing 
beneath  Him,  or  medled  with  Him  ^  (yea,  though  all  it 

1  Cf.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Summa  Theologica,  Il.-ii.  Q.  27, 
A.  3 ;  and  F.  von  Hugel,  op.  cit.,  ii.  p.  167. 

2  In  the  Divine  Essence. 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  87 

be  the  chief)/  but  only  of  Him,  by  Himself  ;  and  then  it 
is  so  meedful  as  I  say  that  it  is.  For  it  is  plainly  known 
without  any  doubt  unto  all  those  that  are  expert  in  the 
science  of  divinity  and  of  God's  love,  that  as  often  as  a 
man's  affection  is  stirred  unto  God  without  mean  (that 
is,  without  messenger  of  any  thought  in  special  causing 
that  stirring),  as  oft  it  deserveth  everlasting  life.  And 
for  that  that  a  soul  that  is  thus  disposed  (that  is  to  say, 
that  offreth  the  fruit  ripe,  and  departed  from  the  tree) 
may  innumerable  times  in  one  hour  be  raised  in  to  God 
suddenly  without  mean,  therefore  more  than  I  can  say  it 
deserveth,  through  the  grace  of  God,  the  which  is  the 
chief  worker,  to  be  raised  in  to  joy.  And  therefore  shape 
thee  for  to  offer  the  fruit  ripe  and  departed  from  the 
tree.  Nevertheless,  the  fruit  upon  the  tree,  continually 
offered  as  man's  frailty  will  suffer,  deserveth  salvation ; 
but  the  fruit  ripe  and  departed  from  the  tree,  suddenly 
offered  unto  God  without  mean,  that  is  perfection. 
And  here  mayst  thou  see  that  the  tree  is  good,  though 
all  that  I  bid  thee  depart  the  fruit  therefrom,  for  more 
perfection ;  and  therefore  I  set  it  in  thy  garden  ;  for 
I  would  that  thou  should  gather  the  fruit  thereof,  and 
keep  it  to  thy  Lord.  And  for  that  that  I  would  that 
thou  knew  what  manner  of  working  it  is  that  knitteth 
man's  soul  to  God,  and  that  maketh  it  one  with  Him  in 

1  So  Had.  MS.  674.     I  take  "  it "  as  the  beatitude  of  man  which 
is  God  Himself. 


88       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

love  and  accordance  of  will,^  after  the  word  of  saint  Paul 
saying  thus  :  Qui  adhaeret  Deo  unus  spiritus  est  cum  illo  ;  ^ 
that  is  to  say  :  "  Who  so  draweth  near  to  God,"  as  it  is 
by  such  a  reverent  affection  touched  before,  "  he  is  one 
spirit  with  God."  That  is,  though  all  that  God  and  he 
be  two  and  sere  ^  in  kind,  nevertheless  yet  in  grace  they 
are  so  knit  together  that  they  are  but  one  in  spirit ;  * 
and  all  this  is  for  onehead  of  love  and  accordance  of  will ; 
and  in  this  onehead  is  the  marriage  made  between  God 
and  the  soul,  the  which  shall  never  be  broken,  though  all 
that  the  heat  and  the  fervour  of  this  work  cease  for  a  time, 
but  by  a  deadly  sin. 

In  the  ghostly  feeling  of  this  onehead  may  a  loving 
soul  both  say  and  sing  (if  it  list)  this  holy  word  that  is 
written  in  the  book  of  songs  in  the  Bible  :  Dilectus  mens 
mihi  et  ego  illi  ;  ^  that  is  :  "  My  loved  unto  me  and  I 
unto  Him  "  ;  understanden  that  God  shall  be  knitted 
with  the  ghostly  glue  of  grace  on  His  party,  and  the 
lovely  consent  in  gladness  of  spirit  on  thy  party. 

*  Cf.  Dante,  Par.  xxxiii.  143-145 : — 

"  Ma  gii  volgeva  il  mio  disiro  e  il  velle, 
Si  come  rota  ch'  egualmente  fe  mossa, 
L'Amor  che  move  il  sole  e  Taltre  stelle." 
"  But  already  my  desire  and  will,  even  as  a  wheel  that  is  equally 
moved,  were  being  turned  by  the  Love  that  moves  the  sun  and 
the  other  stars." 
2  I  Cor.  vi.  17.  3  Pepwell  adds :  "  or  sundry." 

*  So  Pepwell  and  Harl.  MS.  2373  ;  Harl.  MS.  674  reads :  "  they 
ben  one  spirit."  ^  Cant.  ii.  16. 


THE   EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  89 

And  therefore  climb  up  by  this  tree,  as  I  said  in  the 
beginning ;  and  when  thou  comest  to  the  fruit  (that  is, 
to  the  reverent  affection,  the  which  ever  will  be  in  thee 
if  thou  think  heartily  the  other  two  thoughts  before,  and 
fage  ^  not  thyself  with  no  lie,  as  I  said),  then  shalt  thou 
take  good  keep  ^  of  that  working  that  is  made  in  thy  soul 
that  time,  and  shape  thee,  in  as  much  as  thou  mayst 
through  grace,  for  to  meek  thee  under  the  height  of  thy 
God,  so  that  thou  mayst  use  thee  in  that  working  other 
times  by  itself,  without  any  climbing  thereto  by  any 
thought.  And,  sikerly,  this  is  it  the  which  is  so  meedful 
as  I  said,  and  ever  the  longer  that  it  is  kept  from  the  tree 
(that  is  to  say,  from  any  thought),  and  ever  the  ofter 
that  it  is  done  suddenly,  lustily,  and  likingly,  without 
mean,  the  sweeter  it  smelleth,  and  the  better  it  pleaseth 
the  high  King  of  heaven.  And  ever  when  thou  feelest 
sweetness  and  comfort  in  thy  doing,  then  He  breaketh 
this  fruit  and  giveth  thee  part  of  thine  own  present.  And 
that  that  thou  feelest  is  so  hard,  and  so  straitly  stressing 
thine  heart  without  comfort  in  the  first  beginning,  that 
bemeaneth  ^  that  the  greenness  of  the  fruit  hanging  on 
the  tree,  or  else  newly  pulled,  setteth  thy  teeth  on  edge. 
Nevertheless  yet  it  is  speedful  to  thee.     For  it  is  no 

1  Harl.  MS.  674  reads :  "glose."     Pepwell  adds :  "  or  flatter." 
8  Heed. 

3  Pepwell  adds:  "or  betokeneth."  Cf.  Langland,  Piers  the 
Plowman,  A.  i.  i :  "  What  this  mountein  bemeneth." 


90      THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

reason  that  thou  eat  the  sweet  kernel,  but  if  thou  crack 
first  the  hard  shell  and  bite  of  the  bitter  bark. 

Nevertheless,  if  it  so  be  that  thy  teeth  be  weak  (that 
is  to  say,  thy  ghostly  mights),  then  it  is  my  counsel  that 
thou  seek  slights,  for  better  is  list  than  lither  strength.^ 

Another  skill  there  is  why  that  I  set  this  tree  in  thy 
garden,  for  to  climb  up  thereby.  For  though  all  it  be 
so  that  God  may  do  what  He  will,  yet,  to  mine  under- 
standing, it  is  impossible  any  man  to  attain  to  the  perfec- 
tion of  this  working  without  these  two  means,  or  else 
other  two  that  are  according  to  them  coming  before. 
And  yet  is  the  perfection  of  this  work  sudden,  without 
any  mean.  And,  therefore,  I  rede  ^  thee  that  these  be 
thine,  not  thine  in  propriety,  for  that  is  nought  but  sin,^ 
but  thine  given  graciously  of  God,  and  sent  by  me  as 
a  messenger  though  I  be  unworthy  ;  for  wete  thou  right 
well  that  every  thought  that  stirreth  thee  to  the  good,* 
whether  it  come  from  within  by  thine  angel  messenger, 
or  from  without  by  any  man  messenger,  it  is  but  an 
instrument  of  grace  given,  sent  and  chosen  of  God  Him- 
self for  to  work  within  in  thy  soul.  And  this  is  the  skill 
why  that  I  counsel  thee  to  take  these  two  thoughts  before 
all  others.     For  as  man  is  a  mingled  thing  of  two  sub- 

1  Cf.  above,  p.  28  note. 

2  Pepwell  adds :  "  or  counsel." 

5  Of  thyself  thou  hast  nought  but  sin. 
4  So  the  MSS.  :  Pepwell  has :  "to  God." 


THE  EPISTLE   OF   PRAYER  91 

stances,  a  bodily  and  a  ghostly,  so  it  needeth  for  to  have 
two  sere  ^  means  to  come  by  to  perfection  ;  ^  sith  it  so 
is  that  both  these  substances  shall  be  oned  in  undeadliness 
at  the  uprising  in  the  last  day ;  so  that  either  substance 
be  raised  to  perfection  in  this  hfe,  by  a  mean  accordant 
thereto.  And  that  is  dread  to  bodily  substance,  and 
hope  to  the  ghostly.  And  thus  it  is  full  seemly  and  ac- 
cording to  be,  as  me  thinketh  ;  for  as  there  is  nothing 
that  so  soon  will  ravish  the  body  from  all  affection  of 
earthly  things,  as  will  a  sensible  dread  of  the  death  ;  so 
there  is  nothing  that  so  soon  nor  so  fervently  will  raise 
the  affection  of  a  sinner's  soul,  unto  the  love  of  God,  as 
will  a  certain  hope  of  forgiveness  of  all  his  recklessness. 
And  therefore  have  I  ordained  thy  climbing  by  these 

1  Pepwell  changes  to  "  divers." 

2  Cf.  Dante,  De  Monarchia,  iii.  i6:  "Man  alone  of  beings 
holds  a  mid-place  between  corruptible  and  incorruptible ;  where- 
fore he  is  rightly  likened  by  the  philosophers  to  the  horizon  which 
is  between  two  hemispheres.  For  man,  if  considered  after  either 
essential  part,  to  wit  soul  and  body,  is  corruptible  if  considered 
only  after  the  one,  to  wit  the  body,  but  if  after  the  other,  to  wit 
the  soul,  he  is  incorruptible.  ...  If  man,  then,  is  a  kind  of  mean 
between  corruptible  and  incorruptible  things,  since  every  mean 
savours  of  the  nature  of  the  extremes,  it  is  necessary  that  man 
should  savour  of  either  nature.  And  since  every  nature  is  ordained 
to  a  certain  end,  it  follows  that  there  must  be  a  twofold  end  of 
man,  so  that  like  as  he  alone  amongst  all  beings  partakes  of 
corruptibility  and  incorruptibility,  so  he  alone  amongst  all  beings 
should  be  ordained  for  two  final  goals,  of  which  the  one  should  be 
his  goal  as  a  corruptible  being,  and  the  other  as  an  incorruptible  " 
(P.  H.  Wicksteed's  translation). 


92       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

two  thoughts  ;  but  if  it  so  be  that  thy  good  angel  teach 
thee  within  thy  ghostly  conceit,  or  any  other  man,  any 
other  two  that  are  more  according  to  thy  disposition 
than  thee  thinketh  these  two  be,  thou  mayst  take  them, 
and  leave  these  safely  without  any  blame.  Nevertheless 
to  my  conceit  (till  I  wete  more)  me  thinketh  that  these 
should  be  full  helply  unto  thee,  and  not  much  unaccord- 
ing  to  thy  disposition,  after  that  I  feel  in  thee.  And 
therefore,  if  thou  think  that  they  do  thee  good,  then 
thank  God  heartily,  and  for  God's  love  pray  for  me. 
Do  then  so,  for  I  am  a  wretch,  and  thou  wotest  not  how 
it  standeth  with  me. 

No  more  at  this  time,  but  God's  blessing  have  thou 
and  mine. 

Read  often,  and  forget  it  not ;  set  thee  sharply  to  the 
proof ;  and  flee  all  letting  and  occasion  of  letting,  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesu  Christ.    Amen. 


Finis 


VI 


HERE  FOLLOWETH  ALSO  A  VERY  NECESSARY 

EPISTLE  OF  DISCRETION  IN  STIRRINGS  OF 

THE  SOUL 


Here  followeth  also  a  very   necessary  Epistle  of 
Discretion  in  Stirrings  of  the  Soul 

GHOSTLY  friend  in  God,  that  same  grace  and  joy 
that  I  will  to  myself,  will  I  to  thee  at  God's  will. 
Thou  askest  me  counsel  of  silence  and  of  speaking,  of 
common  dieting  and  of  singular  fasting,  of  dwelling  in 
company  and  only  woning  ^  by  thyself.  And  thou  sayest 
thou  art  in  great  were  ^  what  thou  shalt  do ;  for,  as  thou 
sayest,  on  the  one  party  thou  art  greatly  tarried  with 
speaking,  with  common  eating,  as  other  folk  do,  and  with 
common  woning  in  company.  And,  on  the  other  party, 
thou  dreadest  to  be  straitly  still,'  singular  in  fasting,  and 
only  in  woning,  for  deeming  of  more  holiness  in  thee  than 
thou  hast,*  and  for  many  other  perils ;  for  oft  times  now 
these  days  they  are  deemed  for  most  holy,  and  fall  in  to 
many  perils,  that  most  are  in  silence,  in  singular  fasting, 

1  Pepwell  modernises  this  throughout  to  "  dwelling  alone." 

2  Pepwell  substitutes  "  doubt."    Cf.  Chaucer,  Legend  of  Good 
Women,  2686 :  "  Thryes  doun  she  fil  in  swiche  a  were." 

3  Pepwell  adds :  "  in  keeping  of  silence." 

4  Harl.  MS.  674  reads  :  "  more  holiness  than  thou  art  worthy." 

95 


96       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

and  in  only  woning.  And  sooth  it  is  that  they  are  most 
holy,  if  grace  only  be  the  cause  of  that  silence,  of  that 
singular  fasting,  and  of  that  only  woning,  the  kind  ^  but 
suffering  and  only  consenting ;  and  if  it  be  otherwise,  then 
that  is  but  peril  on  all  sides,  for  it  is  full  perilous  to  strain 
the  kind  to  any  such  work  of  devotion,  as  is  silence  or 
speaking,  common  dieting  or  singular  fasting,  woning  in 
company  or  in  onliness.^  I  mean,  passing  the  course  and 
the  common  custom  of  kind  and  degree,  but  if  it  be  led 
thereto  by  grace  ;  and,  namely,  to  such  works  the  which 
in  themself  are  indifferent,  that  is  to  say,  now  good, 
and  now  evil,  now  with  thee,  now  against  thee,  now  help- 
ing, and  now  letting.  For  it  might  befall  that,  if  thou 
followed  thy  singular  stirring,  straitly  straining  thee  to 
silence,  to  singular  fasting,  or  to  only  woning,  that  thou 
shouldest  oft  times  be  still  when  time  were  to  speak,  oft 
times  fast  when  time  were  to  eat,  oft  times  be  only  when 
time  were  to  be  in  company.  Or  if  thou  give  thee  to 
speaking  always  when  thee  list,  to  common  eating,  or  to 
companions  woning,'  then  peradventure  thou  shouldest 
sometime  speak  when  time  ^  were  to  be  still,  sometime 
eat  when  time  were  to  fast,  sometime  be  in  company 
when  time  were  to  be  only ;  and  thus  mightest  thou 
lightly  fall  in  to  error,  in  great  confusion,  not  only  of 
thine  own  soul  but  also  of  others.     And,  therefore,  in 

1  Nature.  2  Solitude. 

'  Pepwellhas:  "company."  *  Pepwell  reads :  "better." 


AN   EPISTLE   OF   DISCRETION  97 

eschewing  of  such  errors,  thou  askest  of  me  (as  I  have 
perceived  by  thy  letters)  two  things  :  the  first  is  my 
conceit  of  thee,  and  thy  stirring ;  and  the  other  is  my 
counsel  in  this  case,  and  in  all  such  others  when  they 
come. 

As  to  the  first,  I  answer  and  I  say  that  I  dread  full  much 
in  this  matter  and  such  others  to  put  forth  my  rude 
conceit,  such  as  it  is,  for  two  skills.^  And  one  is  this  :  I 
dare  not  lean  to  my  conceit,  affirming  it  for  fast  and  true. 
The  other  is  thine  inward  disposition,  and  thine  ableness 
that  thou  hast  unto  all  these  things  that  thou  speakest 
of  in  thy  letter,  which  be  not  yet  so  fully  known  unto  me, 
as  it  were  speedful  that  they  were,  if  I  should  give  full 
counsel  in  this  case.  For  it  is  said  of  the  Apostle  :  Nemo 
novit  quae  sunt  hominis,  nisi  spiritus  hominis  qui  in  ipso  est  ; 
"  No  man  knoweth  which  are  the  privy  dispositions  of 
man,  but  the  spirit  of  the  same  man,  the  which  is  in 
himself  "  ;  ^  and,  peradventure,  thou  knowest  not  yet 
thine  own  inward  disposition  thyself,  so  fully  as  thou 
shalt  do  hereafter,  when  God  will  let  thee  feel  it  by 
the  proof,  among  many  fallings  and  risings.  For  I  knew 
never  yet  no  sinner  that  might  come  to  the  perfect  know- 
ing of  himself  and  of  his  inward  disposition,  but  if  he  were 
learned  of  it  before  in  the  school  of  God,  by  experience 
of  many  temptations,  and  by  many  fallings  and  risings ; 
for  right  as  among  the  waves  and  the  floods  and  the 

1  Causes.  2  j  Cor,  ii,  11. 

G 


98       THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

storms  of  the  sea,  on  the  one  party,  and  the  peaceable 
wind  and  the  calms  and  the  soft  weathers  of  the  air  on 
the  other  party,  the  sely  ^  ship  at  the  last  attains  to  the 
land  and  the  haven ;  right  so,  among  the  diversity  of 
temptations  and  tribulations  that  falleth  to  a  soul  in  this 
ebbing  and  flowing  life  (the  which  are  ensampled  by 
the  storms  and  the  floods  of  the  sea)  on  the  one  party, 
and  among  the  grace  and  the  goodness  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  manyfold  visitation,  sweetness  and  comfort  of  spirit 
(the  which  are  ensampled  by  the  peaceable  wind  and  the 
soft  weathers  of  the  air)  on  the  other  party,  the  sely  soul, 
at  the  likeness  of  a  ship,  attaineth  at  the  last  to  the  land 
of  stableness,  and  to  the  haven  of  health  ;  the  which  is 
the  clear  and  the  soothfast  knowing  of  himself,  and  of 
all  his  inward  dispositions,  through  the  which  knowing 
he  sitteth  quietly  in  himself,  as  a  king  crowned  in  his 
royalme,  mightily,  wisely,  and  goodly  governing  himself 
and  all  his  thoughts  and  stirrings,  both  in  body  and  in 
soul.  Of  such  a  man  it  is  that  the  wise  man  saith  thus  : 
Beatus  vir  qui  suffert  tentationem,  quoniam  cum  frobatus 
fuerit,  accipiet  coronam  vitae,  quatn  repromisit  Deus  dili- 
gentibus  se  :  "  He  is  a  blissful  man  that  sufferingly  beareth 
temptation  ;  for,  from  he  have  been  proved,  he  shall  take 
the  crown  of  hfe,  the  which  God  hath  hight  to  all  those 
that  love  Him."  ^  The  crown  of  life  may  be  said  on 
two  manners.  One  for  ghostly  wisdom,  for  full  discre- 
1  Simple.  2  jas.  i,  12. 


AN   EPISTLE  OF   DISCRETION  99 

tion,  and  for  perfection  of  virtue  :  these  three  knitted 
together  may  be  cleped  ^  a  crown  of  life,  the  which  by 
grace  may  be  come  to  here  in  this  life.  On  another 
manner  the  crown  of  life  may  be  said,  that  it  is  the  endless 
joy  that  each  true  soul  shall  have,  after  this  life,  in  the 
bliss  of  heaven,  and,  sikerly,  neither  of  these  two  crowns 
may  a  man  take,  but  if  he  before  have  been  well  proved 
in  suflFering  of  noye  ^  and  of  temptation,  as  this  text  saith  : 
Quomam  cum  frobatus  fuerit,  accifiet  coronam  vitae ; 
that  is :  "  From  that  he  have  been  proved,  then  shall  he 
take  the  crown  of  life  "  ;  ^  as  who  saith  (according  to  mine 
understanding  touched  before) :  But  if  a  sinner  have 
been  proved  before  in  divers  temptations,  now  rising, 
now  falling,  falling  by  frailty,  rising  by  grace,  he  shall 
never  else  take  of  God  in  this  life  ghostly  wisdom  in  clear 
knowing  of  himself  and  of  his  inward  dispositions,  nor 
fuU  discretion  in  counselling  and  teaching  of  others,  nor 
yet  the  third,  the  which  is  the  perfection  of  virtue  in 
loving  of  his  God  and  of  his  brethren.  All  these  three — 
vpisdom,  discretion,  and  perfection  of  virtue — are  but  one, 
and  they  may  be  cleped  the  crown  of  life. 

In  a  crown  are  three  things :  gold  is  the  first ;  precious 
stones  are  the  second  ;  and  the  turrets  of  the  flower-de- 
luce,  raised  up  above  the  head,  those  are  the  third.  By 
gold,  wisdom  ;    by  the  precious  stones,  discretion  ;    and 

1  The  MSS.  usually  read  "  cleped"  for  "called." 

2  Pepwell  modernises  to  "  trouble."  3  jas.  i,  12. 


100     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

by  the  turrets  of  the  flower-de-luce,  I  understand  the 
perfection  of  virtue.  Gold  environeth  the  head,  and 
by  wisdom  we  govern  our  ghostly  work  on  every  side ; 
precious  stones  giveth  light  in  beholding  of  men,  and 
by  discretion  we  teach  and  counsel  our  brethren  ;  the 
turrets  of  the  flower-de-luce  giveth  two  side  branches, 
spreading  one  to  the  right  side  and  another  to  the  left, 
and  one  even  up  above  the  head,  and  by  perfection  of 
virtues  (the  which  is  charity)  we  give  two  side  branches 
of  love,  the  which  are  spreading,  one  to  the  right  side  to 
our  friends,  and  one  to  the  left  side  to  our  enemies,  and 
one  even  up  unto  God,  above  man's  understanding,  the 
which  is  the  head  of  the  soul.  This  is  the  crown  of  life 
the  which  by  grace  may  be  gotten  here  in  this  life ;  and, 
therefore,  bear  thee  low  in  thy  battle,  and  suffer  meekly 
thy  temptations  till  thou  have  been  proved.  For  then 
shalt  thou  take  either  the  one  crown,  or  the  other,  or 
both,  this  here,  and  the  other  there  ;  for  who  so  hath 
this  here,  he  may  be  full  siker  of  the  other  there  ;  and  full 
many  there  are  that  are  full  graciously  proved  here,  and 
yet  come  never  to  this  that  may  be  had  here  in  this  life. 
The  which  (if  they  meekly  continue  and  patiently  abide 
the  will  of  our  Lord)  shall  full  worthily  and  abundantly 
receive  the  other  there,  in  the  high  bliss  of  heaven.  Thee 
thinketh  this  crown  fair  that  may  be  had  here ;  yea, 
bear  thee  as  meekly  as  thou  mayst  by  grace,  for  in  com- 
parison of  the  other  there,  it  is  but  as  one  noble  to  a 


AN    EPISTLE   OF   DISCRETION  loi 

world  full  of  gold.  All  this  I  say  to  give  thee  comfort 
and  evidence  of  strength  in  thy  ghostly  battle,  the  which 
thou  hast  taken  on  hand  in  the  trust  of  our  Lord,  and 
all  this  I  say  to  let  thee  see  how  far  thou  art  yet  from 
the  true  knowing  of  thine  inward  disposition,  and  there- 
after to  give  thee  warning,  not  over  soon  to  give  stead  ^ 
nor  to  follow  the  singular  stirrings  of  thy  young  heart, 
for  dread  of  deceit. 

All  this  I  say  for  to  shew  unto  thee  my  conceit  that  I 
have  of  thee  and  of  thy  stirrings,  as  thou  hast  asked  of 
me  ;  for  I  conceive  of  thee  that  thou  art  full  able  and 
full  greatly  disposed  to  such  sudden  stirrings  of  singular 
doings,^  and  full  fast  to  cleave  unto  them  when  they  be 
received ;  and  that  is  full  perilous.  I  say  not  that  this 
ableness  and  this  greedy  disposition  in  thee,  or  in  any 
other  that  is  disposed  as  thou  art,  though  all  it  be  perilous, 
that  it  is  therefore  evil  in  itself ;  nay,  so  say  I  not,  God 
forbid  that  thou  take  it  so  ;  but  I  say  that  it  is  full  good 
in  itself,  and  a  full  great  ableness  to  full  great  perfection, 
yea,  and  to  the  greatest  perfection  that  may  be  in  this 
life  ;  I  mean,  if  that  a  soul  that  is  so  disposed  will  busily, 
night  and  day,  meek  it  ^  to  God  and  to  good  counsel,  and 
strongly  rise  and  martyr  itself,  with  casting  down  of  the 
own  wit  and  the  own  will  in  all  such  sudden  and  singular 

1  To  give  place  to. 

"  Such  impulses  to  exceptional  practices. 

3  Humble  itself. 


102     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

stirrings,  and  say  sharply  that  it  will  not  follow  such 
stirrings,  seem  they  never  so  liking,^  so  high  nor  so  holy, 
but  if  it  have  thereto  the  witness  ^  and  the  consents  of 
some  ghostly  teachers — I  mean  such  as  have  been  of  long 
time  expert  in  singular  living.  Such  a  soul,  for  ghostly 
continuance  thus  in  this  meekness,  may  deserve,  through 
grace  and  the  experience  of  this  ghostly  battle  thus  vrith 
itself,  for  to  take  the  crown  of  life  touched  before.  And 
as  great  an  ableness  to  good  as  is  this  manner  of  dis- 
position in  a  soul  that  is  thus  meeked  as  I  say,  as  perilous 
it  is  in  another  soul,  such  one  that  wiU  suddenly,  without 
advisement  of  counsel,  follow  the  stirrings  of  the  greedy 
heart,  by  the  own  wit  and  the  own  will ;  and  therefore, 
for  God's  love,  beware  with  this  ableness  and  with  this 
manner  of  disposition  (that  I  speak  of),  if  it  be  in  thee 
as  I  say.  And  meek  thee  continually  to  prayer  and  to 
counsel.  Break  dowm  thine  own  wit  and  thy  will  in  all 
such  sudden  and  singular  stirrings,  and  foUow  them  not 
over  lightiy,  till  thou  wete  whence  they  come,  and  whether 
they  be  according  for  thee  or  not. 

And  as  touching  these  stirrings  of  the  which  thou  askest 
my  conceit  and  my  counsel,  I  say  to  thee  that  I  conceive 
of  them  suspiciously,  that  is,  that  ^  they  should  be  con- 
ceived on  the  ape's  manner.  Men  say  commonly  that 
the  ape  doth  as  he  seeth  others  do ;  forgive  me  if  I  err 
in  my  suspicion,  I  pray  thee.     Nevertheless,  the  love  that 

1  Pleasant.  *  Pepwell  reads :  "wits."  •  Lest. 


AN  EPISTLE   OF   DISCRETION         103 

I  have  to  thy  soul  stirreth  me  by  evidence  that  I  have  of 
a  ghostly  brother  of  thine  and  of  mine,  touched  with 
those  same  stirrings  of  full  great  ^  silence,  of  full  singular 
fasting,  and  of  full  only  woning,  on  ape's  manner,  as  he 
granted  unto  me  after  long  communing  with  me,  and 
when  he  had  proved  himself  and  his  stirrings.  For,  as 
he  said,  he  had  seen  a  man  in  your  country,  the  which 
man,  as  it  is  well  known,  is  evermore  in  great  silence,  in 
singular  fasting,  and  in  only  dwelling ;  and  certes,  as  I 
suppose  fully,  they  are  full  true  stirrings  those  that  that 
man  hath,  caused  all  only  of  grace,  that  he  feeleth  by 
experience  within,  and  not  of  any  sight  or  heard  say  that 
he  hath  of  any  other  man's  silence  without — the  which 
cause  if  it  were,  it  should  be  cleped  apely,  as  I  say  in  my 
simple  meaning.  And  therefore  beware,  and  prove  well 
thy  stirrings,  and  whence  they  come ;  for  how  so  tliou  art 
stirred,  whether  from  within  by  grace,  or  from  without 
on  ape's  manner,  God  wote,  and  I  not.  Nevertheless 
this  may  I  say  thee  in  eschewing  of  perils  like  unto  this  : 
look  that  thou  be  no  ape,  that  is  to  say,  look  that  thy 
stirrings  to  silence  or  to  speaking,  to  fasting  or  to  eating, 
to  onliness  or  to  company,  whether  they  be  come  from 
within  of  abundance  of  love  and  of  devotion  in  the  spirit, 
and  not  from  without  by  the  windows  of  thy  bodily  wits, 
as  thine  ears,  and  thine  eyes.  For,  as  Jeremiah  saith 
plainly,  by  such  windows  cometh  in  death  :  Mors  intrat 
1  Pepwell  reads :  "strait." 


104     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

per  fenestras}  And  this  suflBceth,  as  little  as  it  is,  for 
answer  to  the  first,  where  thou  askest  of  me,  what  is  my 
conceit  of  thee,  and  of  these  stirrings  that  thou  speakest 
of  to  me  in  thy  letter. 

And  touching  the  second  thing,  where  thou  askest  of 
me  my  counsel  in  this  case,  and  in  such  other  when  they 
fall,  I  beseech  almighty  Jesu  (as  He  is  cleped  the  angel  of 
great  counsel)  that  He  of  His  mercy  be  thy  counsellor  and 
thy  comforter  in  all  thy  noye  and  thy  nede,  and  order  me 
with  His  wisdom  to  fulfil  in  party  by  my  teaching,  so 
simple  as  it  is,  the  trust  of  thine  heart,  the  which  thou 
hast  unto  me  before  many  others — a  simple  lewd  ^  wretch 
as  I  am,  unworthy  to  teach  thee  or  any  other,  for  little- 
ness of  grace  and  for  lacking  of  conning.  Nevertheless, 
though  I  be  lewd,  yet  shall  I  somewhat  say,  answering  to 

'  Jer.  ix.  21 :  "Quia  ascendit  mors  per  fenestras  nostras" 
(Vulgate).  Pepwell  reads  :  "  as  saint  Jerome  saith  "  !  Cf.  Walter 
Hilton,  The  Ladder  of  Perfection,  I.  pt.  iii.  cap.  9  :  "  Lift  up  thy 
Ian  thorn,  and  thou  shalt  see  in  this  image  five  windows,  by  which 
sin  conieth  into  thy  soul,  as  the  Prophet  saith  :  Death  cometh  in  by 
our  windows.  These  are  the  five  senses  by  which  thy  soul  goeth 
out  of  herself,  and  fetcheth  her  delight,  and  seeketh  her  feeding 
in  earthly  things,  contrary  to  the  nobility  of  her  own  nature.  As 
by  the  eye  to  see  curious  and  fair  things,  and  so  of  the  other 
senses.  By  the  unskilful  using  of  these  senses  willingly  to  vanities, 
thy  soul  is  much  letted  from  the  sweetness  of  the  spiritual  senses 
within ;  and  therefore  it  behoveth  thee  to  stop  these  windows, 
and  shut  them,  but  only  when  need  requireth  to  open  them 
(ed.  Dalgaims,  p.  115). 

2  Ignorant, 


AN   EPISTLE   OF    DISCRETION  105 

thy  desire  at  my  simple  conning,  with  a  trust  in  God  that 
His  grace  shall  be  learner  and  leader  when  conning  of 
kind  and  of  clergy  defaileth.^  Thou  wotest  right  well 
thyself  that  silence  in  itself  nor  speaking,  also  singular 
fasting  nor  common  dieting,  onliness  nor  company,  all 
these  nor  yet  any  of  them  be  not  the  true  end  of  our 
desire  ;  but  to  some  men  (and  not  to  all)  they  are  means 
helping  to  the  end,  if  they  be  done  lawfully  and  with 
discretion,  and  else  are  they  more  letting  than  furthering. 
And  therefore  plainly  ^  to  speak,  nor  plainly  to  be  still, 
plainly  to  eat,  nor  plainly  to  fast,  plainly  to  be  in  com- 
pany, or  plainly  to  be  only,  think  I  not  to  counsel  thee 
at  this  time  ;  for  why,  perfection  standeth  not  in  them. 
But  this  counsel  may  I  give  thee  generally,  to  hold  thee 
by  in  these  stirrings,  and  in  all  other  like  unto  these ; 
evermore  where  thou  findest  two  contraries,  as  are  these 
— silence  and  speaking,  fasting  and  eating,  onliness  and 
company,  common  clothing  of  Christian  religion  and 
singular  habits  of  divers  and  devised  brotherhoods,  with 
all  such  other  what  so  they  be,  the  which  in  themself  are 
but  works  of  kind  ^  and  of  men.  For  thou  hast  it  by  kind 
and  by  statute  of  thine  outer  man  now  for  to  speak  and 
now  for  to  be  stiU,  now  for  to  eat  and  now  for  to  fast, 
now  for  to  be  in  company  and  now  to  be  only,  now  to  be 
common  in  clothing  and  now  to  be  in  singular  habit, 

1  Where  natural  and  acquired  knowledge  alike  fall  short. 

2  Fully.  3  Nature. 


io6     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

ever  when  thee  list,  and  when  thou  seest  ^  that  any  of 
them  should  be  speedful  and  helply  to  thee  in  nourishing 
of  the  heavenly  grace  working  within  in  thy  soul ;  but 
if  it  be  so  (which  God  forbid),  that  thou  or  any  other  be 
so  lewd  and  so  blinded  in  the  sorrowful  temptations  of 
the  midday  devil,  that  ye  bind  you  by  any  crooked  avow 
to  any  such  singularities,  as  it  were  under  colour  of  holi- 
ness feigned  under  such  an  holy  thraldom,^  in  full  and  final 
destroying  of  the  freedom  of  Christ,  the  which  is  the 
ghostly  habit  of  the  sovereign  holiness  that  may  be  in  this 
life,  or  in  the  other,  by  the  witness  of  saint  Paul  saying 
thus  :  Ubi  sfiritus  Domini,  ibi  libertas  :  "  There  where  the 
spirit  of  God  is,  there  is  freedom."  ^  And  thereto  when 
thou  seest  that  all  such  works  in  their  use  may  be  both 
good  and  evil ;  I  pray  thee  leave  them  both,  for  that  is 
the  most  ease  for  thee  for  to  do,  if  thou  wilt  be  meek, 
and  leave  the  curious  beholding  and  seeking  in  thy  wits  to 
look  whether  is  better.  But  do  thou  thus  :  set  the  one 
on  the  one  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  other,  and  choose 
thee  a  thing  the  which  is  hid  between  them  ;  the  which 
thing,  when  it  is  had,  giveth  thee  leave  in  freedom  of 
spirit  to  begin  and  to  cease  in  holding  any  of  the  others 
at  thine  own  full  list,  without  any  blame. 

But  now  thou  askest  me,  what  is  that  thing.     I  shall 

1  Pepwell  has :  "  when  thou  dost  feel." 

*  Pepwell  inserts :  "  I  mean  except  the  solemn  vows   of  holy 
religion. "  ^  2  Cor.  iii.  17. 


AN   EPISTLE   OF   DISCRETION  107 

tell  thee  what  I  mean  that  it  is  :  It  is  God  ;  for  whom 
thou  shouldest  be  still,  if  thou  shouldest  be  still ;  and 
for  whom  thou  shouldest  speak,  if  thou  shouldest  speak ; 
and  for  whom  thou  shouldest  fast,  if  thou  shouldest  fast ; 
and  for  whom  thou  shouldest  eat,  if  thou  shouldest  eat ; 
and  for  whom  thou  shouldest  be  only,  if  thou  shouldest 
be  only ;  and  for  whom  thou  shouldest  be  in  company, 
if  thou  shouldest  be  in  company.  And  so  forth  of  all 
the  remenant,  what  so  they  be.  For  silence  is  not  God, 
nor  speaking  is  not  God  ;  fasting  is  not  God,  nor  eating 
is  not  God ;  onliness  is  not  God,  nor  company  is  not 
God ;  nor  yet  any  of  all  the  other  such  two  contraries. 
He  is  hid  between  them,  and  may  not  be  found  by  any 
work  of  thy  soul,  but  all  only  by  love  of  thine  heart.  He 
may  not  be  known  by  reason,  He  may  not  be  gotten  by 
thought,  nor  concluded  by  understanding  ;  but  He  may 
be  loved  and  chosen  with  the  true  lovely  will  of  thine 
heart.^     Choose  thee  Him,  and  thou  art  silently  speaking, 

1  Cf.  St.  Catherine  of  Siena,  Letter  308  (ed.  Gigli) :  "Love 
harmonises  the  three  powers  of  our  soul,  and  binds  them  together. 
The  will  moves  the  understanding  to  see,  when  it  wishes  to  love ; 
when  the  understanding  perceives  that  the  will  would  fain  love,  if 
it  is  a  rational  will,  it  places  before  it  as  object  the  ineffable  love  of 
the  eternal  Father,  who  has  given  us  the  Word,  His  own  Son,  and 
the  obedience  and  humility  of  the  Son,  who  endured  torments,  in- 
uries,  moclceries,  and  insults  with  meekness  and  with  such  great 
love.  And  thus  the  will,  with  ineffable  love,  follows  what  the  eye 
of  the  understanding  has  beheld;  and,  with  its  strong  hand,  it 
stores  up  in  the  memory  the  treasure  that  it  draws  from  this  love." 


ao8     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

and  speakingly  silent,  fastingly  eating,  and  eatingly  fast- 
ing, and  so  forth  of  all  the  remenant.  Such  a  lovely 
choosing  of  God,  thus  wisely  lesinge  ^  and  seeking  Him 
out  with  the  true  will  of  a  clean  heart,  between  all  such 
two  leaving  them  both,  when  they  come  and  proffer  them 
to  be  the  point  and  the  prick  of  our  ghostly  beholding, 
is  the  worthiest  tracing  and  seeking  of  God  that  may 
be  gotten  or  learned  in  this  life.  I  mean  for  a  soul  that 
will  be  contemplative ;  yea,  though  all  that  a  soul  that 
thus  seeketh  see  nothing  that  may  be  conceived  with  the 
ghostly  eye  of  reason ;  for  if  God  be  thy  love  and  thy 
meaning,  the  choice  and  the  point  of  thine  heart,  it 
sufficeth  to  thee  in  this  life  (though  all  thou  see  never 
more  of  Him  with  the  eyes  of  thy  reason  all  thy  life  time). 
Such  a  blind  shot  with  the  sharp  dart  of  longing  love 
may  never  fail  of  the  prick,  the  which  is  God,  as  Himself 
saith  in  the  book  of  love,  where  He  speaketh  to  a  lan- 
guishing soul  and  a  loving,  saying  thus  :  Vulnerasti  cor 
meum,  soror  mea,  arnica  mea,  et  sponsa  mea,  vulnerasti  cor 
meum,  in  uno  oculorum  tuorum :  "  Thou  hast  wounded 
mine  heart,  my  sister,  my  leman,  and  my  spouse,  thou 
hast  wounded  mine  heart  in  one  of  thine  eyes."  ^  Eyes 
of  the  soul  they  are  two :  Reason  and  Love.  By  reason 
we  may  trace  how  mighty,  how  wise,  and  how  good  He 
is  in  His  creatures,  but  not  in  Himself ;  but  ever  when 
reason  defaileth,  then  list,  love,  live  and  learn,  to  play,' 

*  Losing.  *  Cant.  iv.  9.  '  To  exercise  love. 


AN   EPISTLE   OF    DISCRETION  109 

for  by  love  we  may  feel  Him,  find  Him,  and  hit  Him, 
even  in  Himself.  It  is  a  wonderful  eye,  this  love,  for  of 
a  loving  soul  it  is  only  said  of  our  Lord  :  "  Thou  hast 
wounded  mine  heart  in  one  of  thine  eyes  "  ;  that  is  to 
say,  in  love  that  is  blind  to  many  things,  and  seeth  but 
that  one  thing  that  it  seeketh,  and  therefore  it  findeth 
and  feeleth,  hitteth  and  woundeth  the  point  and  the 
prick  that  it  shooteth  at,  well  sooner  than  it  should  if  the 
sight  were  sundry  in  beholding  of  many  things,  as  it  is 
when  the  reason  ransacketh  and  seeketh  among  all  such 
sere  ^  things  as  are  these  :  silence  and  speaking,  singular 
fasting  and  common  eating,  onliness  or  company,  and  all 
such  other  ;   to  look  whether  is  better. 

Let  be  this  manner  of  doing,  I  pray  thee,  and  let  as 
thou  wist  not  that  there  were  any  such  means  (I  mean 
ordained  for  to  get  God  by)  ;  for  truly  no  more  there  is, 
if  thou  wilt  be  very  contemplative  and  soon  sped  of  thy 
purpose.  And,  therefore,  I  pray  thee  and  other  like  unto 
thee,  with  the  Apostle  saying  thus  :  Videte  vocationem 
vestram,  et  in  ea  vocatione  qua  vocati  estis  state  :  ^  "  See 
your  calling,  and,  in  that  calling  that  ye  be  called,  stand 
stiffly  and  abide  in  the  name  of  Jesu."  Thy  calling 
is  to  be  very  contemplative,  ensampled  by  Mary  Mag- 
dalene. Do  then  as  Mary  did,  set  the  point  of  thine 
heart  upon  one  thing  :  Porro  unum  est  necessarium  :  "  For 

1  Divers. 

2  I  Cor.  i.  26,  vii.  20 ;  Eph.  iv.  i. 


no     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

one  thing  is  necessary,"  ^  the  which  is  God.  Him  wouldest 
thou  have,  Him  seekest  thou.  Him  list  thee  to  love,  Him 
list  thee  to  feel,^  Him  list  thee  hold  thee  by,  and  neither 
by  silence  nor  by  speaking,  by  singular  fasting  nor  by 
common  eating,  by  onliness  nor  by  companious  woning, 
by  hard  wearing  nor  by  easy ;  for  sometime  silence  is 
good,  but  that  same  time  speaking  were  better;  and 
againward  sometime  speaking  is  good,  but  that  same  time 
silence  were  better ;  and  so  forth  of  all  the  remenant, 
as  is  fasting,  eating,  onliness,  and  company ;  for  some- 
time the  one  is  good,  but  the  other  is  better,  but  neither 
of  them  is  at  any  time  the  best.  And,  therefore,  let  be 
good  all  that  is  good,  and  better  all  that  is  better,'  for 
both  they  will  defail  and  have  an  end  ;  and  choose  thee 
the  best  with  Mary,  thy  mirror,  that  never  will  defail : 
Maria  (inquit  optimus)  opttmam  partem  elegit,  quae  non 
auferetur  ab  ea.^  The  best  is  almighty  Jesu,  and  He  said 
that  Mary,  in  ensample  of  all  contemplatives,  had  chosen 
the  best,  the  which  should  never  be  taken  from  her  ;  and 
therefore,  I  pray  thee,  with  Mary  leave  the  good  and^the 
better,  and  choose  thee  the  best. 

Let  them  be,  all  such  things  as  are  these  :   silence  and 
speaking,  fasting  and  eating,  onliness  and  company,  and 

1  Luke  X.  42. 

2  Pepwell  inserts :  "  Him  list  thee  to  see,  and." 

*  Pepwell  reads  :  "  Let  be  good  and  all  that  is  good,  and  better 
with  all  that  is  better." 
4  Luke  X.  42. 


AN   EPISTLE   OF   DISCRETION  in 

all  such  other,  and  take  no  keep  to  them  ;  thou  wotest 
not  what  they  mean,  and,  I  pray  thee,  covet  not  to  wit ; 
and  if  thou  shall  at  any  time  think  or  speak  of  them,  think 
then  and  say  that  they  are  so  high  and  so  worthy  things  of 
perfection,  for  to  conne  ^  speak,  or  for  to  conne  be  still, 
for  to  conne  fast,  and  for  to  conne  eat,  for  to  conne  be 
only,  and  to  conne  be  in  company,  that  it  were  but  a 
folly  and  a  foul  presumption  to  such  a  frail  wretch  as 
thou  art,  for  to  meddle  thee  of  so  great  perfection.  For 
why,  for  to  speak,  and  for  to  be  still,  for  to  eat,  and  for 
to  fast,  for  to  be  only,  and  for  to  be  in  company,  ever 
when  we  will,  may  we  have  by  kind  ;  but  for  to  conne  do 
all  these,  we  may  not  but  by  grace.  And,  without  doubt, 
such  grace  is  never  gotten  by  any  mean  of  such  strait 
silence,  of  such  singular  fasting,  or  of  such  only  dwelling 
that  thou  speakest  of,  the  which  is  caused  from  without 
by  occasion  of  hearing  and  of  seeing  of  any  other  man's 
such  singular  doings.  But  if  ever  this  grace  shall  be 
gotten,  it  behoveth  to  be  learned  of  God  from  within, 
unto  whom  thou  hast  listily  leaned  many  a  day  before 
with  all  the  love  of  thine  heart,  utterly  voiding  from 
thy  ghostly  beholding  ^  aU  manner  of  sight  of  any  thing 
beneath  Him  ;  though  all  that  some  of  those  things  that 
I  bid  thee  thus  void,  should  seem  in  the  sight  of  some 
men  a  fuU  worthy  mean  to  get  God  by.     Yea,  say  what 

1  To  know  how  to  speak,  etc. 

2  Banishing  frona  thy  soul's  vision. 


112     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

men  say  will,  but  do  thou  as  I  say  thee,  and  let  the  proof 
witness.  For  to  him  that  will  be  soon  sped  of  his  purpose 
ghostly,  it  sufficeth  to  him  for  a  mean,  and  him  needeth 
no  more,  but  the  actual  mind  of  good  God  only,  with  a 
reverent  stirring  of  lasting  love  ;  so  that  mean  unto  God 
gettest  thou  none  but  God.  If  thou  keep  whole  thy 
stirring  of  love  that  thou  mayst  feel  by  grace  in  thine 
heart,  and  scatter  not  thy  ghostly  beholding  therefrom, 
then  that  same  that  thou  feelest  shall  well  conne  ^  tell 
thee  when  thou  shalt  speak  and  when  thou  shalt  be  still, 
and  it  shall  govern  thee  discreetly  in  all  thy  living  without 
any  error,  and  teach  thee  mistily  ^  how  thou  shalt  begin 
and  cease  in  all  such  doing  of  kind  with  a  great  and 
sovereign  discretion.  For  if  thou  mayst  by  grace  keep  it 
in  custom  and  in  continual  working,  then,  if  it  be  needful 
or  speedful  to  thee  for  to  speak,  for  to  commonly  eat,  or 
for  to  bide  in  company,  or  for  to  do  any  such  other  thing 
that  longeth  to  the  common  true  custom  of  Christian 
men,  and  of  kind,  it  shall  first  stir  thee  full  softly  to  speak 
or  to  do  that  other  common  thing  of  kind,  what  so  it  be. 
And  then,  if  thou  do  it  not,  it  shall  strike  as  sore  as  a 
prick  on  thine  heart  and  pain  thee  full  sore,  and  let  thee 
have  no  peace  ^  but  if  thou  do  it.     And,  on  the  same 

1  Be  able  to. 

2  Pepwell  reads :  "privily."  Cf.  Wyclif  (Select  English  Works, 
ed.  cit.,  i.  p.  149):  "And  after  seith  Crist  to  his  apostles,  that 
thes  thingis  he  seide  bifore  to  hem  in  proverbis  and  mystily." 

*  Pepwell  reads  :  "rest." 


AN    EPISTLE  OF   DISCRETION  113 

manner,  if  thou  be  in  speaking,  or  in  any  such  other  work 
that  is  common  to  the  course  of  kind,  if  it  be  needful  and 
speedful  to  thee  to  be  still,  and  for  to  set  thee  to  the 
contrary,  as  is  onliness  to  company,  fasting  to  eating,  and 
all  such  other  the  which  are  works  of  singular  holiness, 
it  will  stir  thee  to  them ;  so  that  thus,  by  experience  of 
such  a  blind  stirring  of  love  unto  God,  a  contemplative 
soul  Cometh  sooner  to  that  grace  of  discretion  for  to  conne 
speak,  and  for  to  conne  be  still,  for  to  conne  eat,  and  for 
to  conne  fast,  for  to  conne  be  in  company,  and  for  to 
conne  be  only,'^  and  all  such  other,  than  by  any  such 
singularities  as  thou  speakest  of,  taken  by  the  stirrings  of 
man's  own  wit  and  his  will  within  in  himself,  or  yet  by 
the  ensample  of  any  other  man's  doing  without,  what  so 
it  be.  For  why,  such  strained  doings  under  the  stirrings 
of  kind,  vdthout  touching  ^  of  grace,  is  a  passing  pain 
without  any  profit ;  but  if  it  be  to  them  that  are  religious, 
or  that  have  them  by  enjoining  of  penance,  where  profit 
riseth  only  because  of  obedience,  and  not  by  any  such 
straitness  of  doing  without ;  the  which  is  painful  to  all 
that  it  proveth.  But  lovely  and  listily  to  will  to  love  ^ 
God  is  great  and  passing  ease,  true  ghostly  peace,  and 

1  Pepwell  modernises  "conne"  to  "learn  to"  throughout  this 
passage, 

*  Harl.     MS.    674    reads:     "stirring";     the    other    MS.    as 
Pepwell. 

•*  Harl.  MS.  674  reads  :  "  have." 

H 


114     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

earnest  of  the  endless  rest.  And,  therefore,  speak  when 
thee  list,  and  leave  when  thee  list,  eat  when  thee  list, 
and  fast  when  thee  list,  be  in  company  when  thee  list, 
and  be  by  thyself  when  thee  list,  so  that  ^  God  and  grace 
be  thy  leader.  Let  fast  who  fast  will,  and  be  only  who 
will,  and  let  hold  silence  who  so  will,  but  hold  thee  by 
God  that  doth  beguile  no  man  ;  for  silence  and  speaking, 
onliness  and  company,  fasting  and  eating,  all  may  beguile 
thee.  And  if  thou  hear  of  any  man  that  speaketh,  or  of 
any  that  is  still,  of  any  that  eateth  or  of  any  that  fasteth, 
or  of  any  that  is  in  company  or  else  by  himself,  think 
thou,  and  say,  if  thee  list,  that  they  conne  do  as  they 
should  do,  but  if  the  contrary  shew  in  apert.^  But  look 
that  thou  do  not  as  they  do  (I  mean  for  that  they  do  so) 
on  ape's  manner ;  for  neither  thou  canst,  nor  peradventore 
thou  art  not  disposed  as  they  are.  And,  therefore,  leave 
to  work  after  other  men's  dispositions,  and  work  after 
thine  own,  if  thou  mayst  know  what  it  is.  And  unto 
the  time  that  thou  mayst  know  what  it  is,  work  after 
those  men's  counsel  that  know  their  own  disposition, 
but  not  after  their  disposition ;  ^  for  such  men  should 

1  Pepwell  reads  :  "else." 

*  Manifestly,  i.e.  unless  they  clearly  show  that  they  do  not  know 
how  to  act  as  they  should.     Pepwell  has :  "  in  a  part." 

3  i.e.  take  their  advice,  but  do  not  simply  imitate  them.  I 
follow  the  MSS.  in  preference  to  Pepwell,  who  reads:  "Work 
after  no  men's  counsel,  but  sith  that  know  well  their  own  dis- 
position ;  for  such  men  should,"  etc. 


AN   EPISTLE   OF   DISCRETION  115 

give  counsel  in  such  cases,  and  else  none.  And  this 
sufficeth  for  an  answer  to  all  thy  letter,  as  me  thinketh  ; 
the  grace  of  God  be  ever  more  with  thee,  in  the  name 
of  Jesu.    Amen. 


FiNiT  Epistola 


VII 

HERE  FOLLOWETH  A  DEVOUT  TREATISE  OF 

DISCERNING  OF   SPIRITS,  VERY  NECESSARY 

FOR  GHOSTLY  LIVERS 


Here  followeth  a  Devout  Treatise  of  Discerning 

OF  Spirits,  very  necessary  for  Ghostly  Livers 

FOR  because  that  there  be  divers  kinds  of  spirits,  there- 
fore it  is  needful  to  us  discreet  know^ing  of  them ; 
sith  it  so  is  that  we  be  taught  of  the  apostle  saint  John  not 
to  believe  to  all  spirits.^  For  it  might  seem  to  some  that 
are  but  little  in  conning,  and  namely  of  ghostly  things, 
that  each  thought  that  soundeth  in  man's  heart  should 
be  the  speech  of  none  other  spirit  but  only  of  man's  own 
spirit.  And  that  it  is  not  so,  both  belief  and  witness  of 
holy  scripture  proveth  apertly  ;  for  "  I  shall  hear,"  saith 
the  prophet  David,  "  not  what  I  speak  myself,  but  what 
my  Lord  God  speaketh  in  me  "  ;  ^  and  another  prophet 
saith,  that  an  angel  spake  in  him.^  And  also  we  be  taught 
in  the  psalm  that  the  wicked  spirits  sendeth  evil  thoughts 
in  to  men  ;  and  over  this,  that  there  is  a  spirit  of  the  flesh 
not  good,  the  apostle  Paul  sheweth  apertly,  where  he 
saith,  that  some  men  are  full  blown  or  inflate  with  the 
spirit  of  their  flesh.*    And  also  that  there  is  the  spirit 

1  1  John  iv.  1-6.  2  Ps.  Ixxxv.  8  (Vulgate  Ixxxiv.  9). 

3  Zech.  i,  g-ig.  *  Col.  ii.  18. 

119 


120     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

of  the  world,  he  declareth  plainly,  where  he  maketh  ]ay 

in  God,  not  only  for  himself,  but  also  for  his  disciples, 
that  they  had  not  taken  that  spirit  of  the  world,  but  that 
that  is  sent  of  God,  the  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost.^  And 
these  two  spirits  of  the  flesh  and  also  of  the  world  are,  as 
it  were,  servants  or  sergeants  of  that  cursed  spirit,  the 
foul  fiend  of  hell ;  so  that  the  spirit  of  wickedness  is  lord 
of  the  spirit  of  the  flesh,  and  also  of  the  spirit  of  the  world. 
And  which  of  these  three  spirits  that  speaketh  to  our 
spirit,  we  should  not  believe  them.  For  why,  they 
speak  never  but  that  anon,  by  their  speaking,  they  lead  to 
the  loss  both  of  body  and  of  soul.  And  which  spirit  it  is 
that  speaketh  to  our  spirit,  the  speech  of  that  same  spirit 
that  speaketh  shall  fuUy  declare  ;  for  ever  more  the  spirit 
of  the  flesh  speaketh  soft  things  and  easy  to  the  body ; 
the  spirit  of  the  world  vain  things  and  covetise  ^  of  wor- 
ship ;  and  the  spirit  of  malice  of  the  fiend  speaketh  fell 
things  and  bitter. 

Wherefore,  as  oft  times  as  any  thought  smiteth  on  our 
hearts  of  meat,  of  drink,  and  of  sleep,  of  soft  clothing,  of 
lechery,  and  of  all  other  such  things  the  which  longeth  to 
the  business  of  the  flesh,  and  maketh  our  heart  for  to 
brenne  '  as  it  were  in  a  longing  desire  after  all  such  things  ; 

1  I  Thess,  i.  2-9. 

2  Pepwell  adds:  "or  ambition."  Cf.  Chaucer,  The  Persones 
Tak,  ed.  Skeat,  §  18:  "and  coveitise  of  hynesse  by  pryde  of 
herte."  ^  Bum. 


DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS  121 

be  we  full  siker  that  it  is  the  spirit  of  the  flesh  that  speaketh 
it.  And  therefore  put  we  him  away,  in  as  much  as  we 
goodly  may  by  grace,  for  he  is  our  adversary.  As  oft 
times  as  any  thought  smiteth  on  our  hearts  of  vain  joy 
of  this  world,  kindling  in  us  a  desire  to  be  holden  fair, 
and  to  be  favoured,  to  be  holden  of  great  kin  and  of  great 
conning,  to  be  holden  wise  and  worthy,  or  else  to  have 
great  degree  and  high  office  in  this  life — such  thoughts 
and  all  other  the  which  would  make  a  man  to  seem  high 
and  worshipful,  not  only  in  the  sight  of  others,  but  also 
in  the  sight  of  himself — no  doubt  but  it  is  the  spirit  of  the 
world  that  speaketh  all  these,  a  far  more  perilous  enemy 
than  is  the  spirit  of  the  flesh,  and  with  much  more  busi- 
ness he  should  be  put  off.  And  oft  times  it  befalleth  that 
these  two  servants  and  sergeants  of  the  foul  fiend,  the 
spirit  and  prince  of  wrath  ^  and  of  wickedness,  are  either 
by  grace  and  by  ghostly  slight  of  a  soul  stiffly  put  down 
and  trodden  down  under  foot ;  or  else,  by  quaintise  ^  of 
their  malicious  master,  the  foul  fiend  of  hell,  they  are 
quaintly  withdrawn,  for  he  thinketh  himself  for  to  rise 
with  great  malice  and  wrath,  as  a  lion  running  feUy  to 
assail  the  sickness  of  our  sely  souls ;  and  this  befalleth  as 
oft  as  the  thought  of  our  heart  stirreth  us,  not  to  the  lust 
of  our  flesh,  nor  yet  to  the  vain  joy  of  this  world,  but  it 
stirreth  us  to  murmuring,  to  grutcliing,^  to  grievance,  and 

1  So  Harl.  MS.  674;  Pepwellhas:  "war." 

*  Crafty  device.  ^  cf.  above,  p.  17  note. 


122     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

to  bitterness  of  soul,  to  pain  and  to  impatience,  to  wrath, 
to  melancholy,  and  to  evil  will,  to  hate,  to  envy,  and  to 
all  such  sorrows.  It  maketh  us  to  bear  us  heavily,  if 
ought  be  done  or  said  unto  us,  not  so  lovely,  nor  so  wisely  * 
as  we  would  it  were  ;  it  raiseth  in  us  all  evil  suspicion,  if 
ought  be  shewed  in  sign,  in  countenance,  in  word,  or  in 
work,  that  might  by  any  manner  be  turned  to  maUce  or  to 
heaviness  of  heart ;  it  maketh  us  as  fast  ^  to  take  it  to  us. 
To  these  thoughts,  and  to  all  such  that  would  put  us 
out  of  peace  and  restfulness  of  heart,  we  should  none 
otherwise  againstand,^  but  as  we  would  the  self  fiend 
of  hell,  and  as  much  we  should  flee  therefrom  as  from 
the  loss  of  our  soul.  No  doubt  but  both  the  other  two 
thoughts,  of  the  spirit  of  the  flesh  and  also  of  the  spirit 
of  the  world,  work  and  travail  in  all  that  they  can  to  the 
loss  of  our  soul,  but  most  perilously  the  spirit  of  malice ; 
for  why,  he  is  by  himself,  but  they  not  without  him. 
For  if  a  man's  soul  be  never  so  clean  of  fleshly  lust,  and 
of  vain  joy  of  this  world,  and  if  it  be  defouled  with  this 
spirit  of  malice,  of  wrath,  and  of  wickedness,  not  again- 
standing  all  the  other  cleanness  before,  yet  it  is  losable. 
And  if  a  soul  be  never  so  much  defouled  with  the  lust 
of  the  flesh,  and  vain  joy  of  the  world,  and  it  may  by 
grace  keep  it  in  peace  and  in  restfulness  of  heart  unto  the 

^  Pepwellhas:  "gladly." 

2  Pepwell  reads :  ' '  ever  ready." 

3  Withstand,  resist. 


DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS  123 

even  Christian/  though  all  it  be  fuU  hard  for  to  do 
(lasting  the  custom  of  the  other  two),^  yet  it  is  less  losable, 
not  againstanding  all  the  other  filth  of  the  flesh  and  of  the 
world  touched  before.  And,  therefore,  though  all  that 
our  lusty  ^  thoughts  of  our  flesh  be  evil,  for  they  reave 
from  the  soul  the  life  of  devotion,  and  though  all  that 
the  vain  joy  of  the  world  be  worse,  for  it  reaveth  us  from 
the  true  joy  that  we  should  have  in  contemplation  of 
heavenly  things,  ministered  and  taught  to  us  by  the 
angels  of  heaven.  For  who  so  lustily  desireth  to  be 
worshipped,  favoured,  and  served  of  men  here  in  earth, 
they  deserve  to  forego  the  worship,  the  favour,  and  ser- 
vice of  angel  in  ghostly  contemplation  of  heaven  and  of 
heavenly  things,  all  their  lifetime  ;  the  which  contempla- 
tion is  better  and  more  worthy  in  itself  than  is  the  lust 
and  the  liking  of  devotion.  And  for  this  bitterness  I 
clepe  the  spirit  of  malice,  of  wrath,  and  of  wickedness 
the  worst  spirit  of  them  all ;  and  why  ?  Certes,  for  it 
reaveth  us  the  best  thing  of  all,  and  that  is  charity,  the 
which  is  God.  For  who  so  lacketh  peace  and  restfulness 
of  heart,  him  lacketh  the  lively  presence  of  the  lovely 
sight  of  the  high  peace  of  heaven,  good  gracious  God 
His  own  dear  self.    This  witnesseth  David  in  the  psalm, 

1  Cf.  Molh^x  ]\ii\\zx\3.,  K eve  lations  of  Divine  Love,  i.  cap.  9:  "In 
general  I  am,  I  hope,  in  onehead  of  charity  with  all  my  even 
Christian ;  for  in  this  onehead  standeth  the  life  of  all  mankind 
that  shall  be  saved."  2  If  it  is  still  guilty  of  the  other  two, 

2  Pepwell  adds :  "  and  voluptuous." 


124     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

where  he  saith,  that  the  place  of  God  is  made  in  peace, 
and  His  dwelling  place  in  Sion.^  Sion  is  as  much  to  say 
as  the  sight  of  peace  ;  the  sight  of  the  soul  is  the  thought 
of  that  same  soul ;  and,  certes,  in  that  soul  that  most 
is  occupied  in  thoughts  of  peace  hath  God  made  His 
dwelling  place.^  And  thus  saith  Himself  by  the  prophet, 
when  he  saith :  "  Upon  whom  shall  my  spirit  rest,  but 
upon  the  meek  and  the  restful."  ^  And,  therefore,  who 
so  will  have  God  continually  dwelling  in  him,  and  live 
in  love  and  in  sight  of  the  high  peace  of  the  Godhead, 
the  which  is  the  highest  and  the  best  party  of  contem- 
plation that  may  be  had  in  this  life,  be  he  busy  night  and 
day  to  put  down,  when  they  come,  the  spirit  of  the  flesh 
and  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  most  busily  the  spirit  of 
malice,  of  wrath,  and  of  wickedness,  for  he  is  the  foulest 
and  the  worst  filth*  of  all.  And  it  is  full  needful  and 
speedful  to  know  his  quaintise,  and  not  for  to  unknow 
his  doleful  deceits.  For  sometime  he  will,  that  wicked 
cursed  wight,  change  his  likeness  in  to  an  angel  of  light, 
that  he  may  under  colour  of  virtue  do  more  dere ;  ^  but 

1  Ps.  cxxxii.  (Vulgate  cxxxi.)  13. 

2  Cf.  Walter  Hilton,  The  Ladder  of  Perfection,  II.  pt.  ii.  cap.  3: 
"Jerusalem  is,  as  much  as  to  say,  a  sight  of  peace  ;  and  betokeneth 
contemplation  in  perfect  love  of  God ;  for  contemplation  is  nothing 
else  but  a  sight  of  God,  which  is  very  peace." 

3  Probably  Isa.  Ivii.  15,  *  Pepwell  reads  :  "  most  folly." 
5  Pepwell  adds:  "or  harm."     Cf.    The  Chronicle  of  Robert  of 

Brunne,  8905-6:  "Now  may  ye  lyghtly  here  the  stones  to  schip 
wythouten  dere." 


DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS  125 

yet  then,  if  we  look  more  redely/  it  is  but  seed  of  bitter- 
ness and  of  discord  that  that  he  sheweth,  seem  it  never  so 
holy  nor  never  so  fair  at  the  first  shewing.  Full  many 
he  stirreth  unto  singular  holiness  passing  the  common 
statute  and  custom  of  their  degree,  as  is  fasting,  sharp 
wearing,  and  many  other  devout  observances  and  outward 
doings,  in  open  reproving  of  other  men's  defaults,  the 
which  they  have  not  of  office  for  to  do.  All  such  and 
many  other  he  stirreth  them  for  to  do,  and  all  under 
colour  of  devotion  and  of  charity  ;  not  for  he  is  delighted 
in  any  deed  of  devotion  and  of  charity,  but  for  he  loveth 
dissension  and  slander,  the  which  is  evermore  caused  by 
such  unseemly  singularities ;  for  where  so  ever  that  any 
one  or  two  are  in  any  devout  congregation,  the  which 
any  one  or  two  useth  any  such  outward  singularities,  then 
in  the  sight  of  fools  all  the  remenant  are  slandered  by 
them ;  but,  in  the  sight  of  the  wise  man,  they  slander 
themselves.  But  for  because  that  fools  are  more  than 
wise  men,  therefore  for  favour  of  fools  such  singular  doers 
ween  that  they  be  wise,  when  (if  it  were  wisely  deter- 
mined) they  and  all  their  fautors  ^  should  be  seen  apert 
fools,  and  darts  shot  of  the  devil,  to  slay  true  simple  souls 
under  colour  of  holiness  and  charity.  And  thus  many 
deceits  can  the  fiend  bring  in  on  this  manner. 

Who  so  will  not  consent,  but  meeketh  him  truly  to 
prayer  and  to  counsel,  shall  graciously  be  delivered  of  all 
1  Advisedly.  2  Partisans,  abettors. 


126     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

these  deceits.^  But  it  is  sorrow  for  to  say,  and  more  for 
to  feel,  that  sometime  ^  our  own  spirit  is  so  overcome  per- 
adventure  with  each  of  these  three  spirits,  of  the  flesh, 
of  the  world,  and  of  the  fiend,  and  so  brought  into 
danger,  bounden  in  bondage,  in  thraldom  and  in  service 
of  them  all,  that  sorrow  it  is  to  wit.  In  great  confusion 
and  loss  of  itself,  it  doth  now  the  office  of  each  one  of 
them  itself  in  itself.  And  this  befalleth  when,  after  long 
use,  and  customable  consenting  unto  them  when  they 
come,  at  the  last  it  is  made  so  fleshly,  so  worldly,  and  so 
malicious,  so  wicked,  and  so  froward,  that  now  plainly  of 
itself,  without  suggestion  of  any  other  spirit,  it  gendereth 
and  bringeth  forth  in  itself,  not  only  lusty  thoughts  of  the 
flesh,  and  vain  thoughts  of  the  world,  but  that  worst  of 
all  these,  as  are  bitter  thoughts  and  wicked,  in  backbiting, 
and  deeming,  and  evil  suspicion  of  others.  And  when 
it  is  thus  with  our  spirit,  then,  I  trow,  it  may  not  lightly 
be  known  when  it  is  our  own  spirit  that  speaketh,  or  when 
it  heareth  any  of  the  other  three  spirits  speaking  in  it, 
as  it  is  touched  before.  But  what  maketh  it  matter* 
who  speaketh,  when  it  is  all  one  and  the  same  thing  that 
is  spoken  ?  What  helpeth  to  know  the  person  of  him 
that  speaketh,  when  it  is  siker  and  certain  that  all  is  evil 

1  The  MSS.  read  :  "  doles." 

2  Pepwell  reads:  "But  it  is  more  sorrow  to  feel  of  our  own 
spirit's  deceits.     For  sometime  our  own  spirit." 

•  The  MSS.  read :  "  Bot  what  thar  reche"  ;  what  need  to  care. 


DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS  127 

and  perilous  that  is  spoken  ?  If  it  be  thine  enemy,  con- 
sent not  to  him,  but  meek  thee  to  prayer  and  to  counsel, 
and  so  mayst  thou  mightily  withstand  thine  enemy. 
If  it  be  thine  own  spirit,  reprove  him  bitterly,  and 
sighingly  sorrow  that  ever  thou  fell  in  ^  so  great  wretched- 
ness, bondage,  and  thraldom  of  the  devil.  Shrive  thee 
of  thy  customed  consents,  and  of  thine  old  sins,  and  so 
mayst  thou  come  (by  grace)  to  recover  thy  freedom 
again ;  and  by  the  gracious  freedom  mayst  thou  soon 
come  to,  wisely  for  to  know,  and  soothfastly  for  to  feel 
by  the  proof,  when  it  is  thine  own  spirit  that  speaketh 
these  evils,  or  it  be  these  other  evil  spirits  that  speaketh 
them  in  thee.  And  so  may  this  knowing  be  a  sovereign 
mean  and  help  of  againstanding,  for  often  times  un- 
knowing is  cause  of  much  error,  and,  againward,  knowing 
is  cause  of  much  truth ;  and  to  this  manner  of  knowing 
mayst  thou  win  thus  as  I  say  to  thee. 

If  thou  be  in  doubt  or  in  were  ^  of  these  evil  thoughts 
when  they  come,  whether  that  they  be  the  speech  of  thine 
own  spirit,  or  of  any  of  the  others  of  thine  enemies  ;  look 
then  busily  by  the  witness  of  thy  counsel  and  thy  con- 
science, if  thou  have  been  shriven  and  lawfully  amended 
after  the  doom  ^  of  thy  confessor,  of  all  the  consents 
that  ever  thou  consented  to  that  kind  of  sin,  that  thy 

1  Pepwell  reads :  "  didst  feel  in  thee." 

^  Cf.  above,  p.  95  note. 

3  Pepwell  adds :  "  and  judgment. 


128     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

thought  is  aware  of.  And  if  thou  have  not  been  shriven, 
shrive  thee  then,  as  truly  as  thou  mayst,  by  grace  and 
by  counsel ;  and  then  wete  thou  right  well  that  all  the 
thoughts  that  come  to  thee  after  thy  shrift,  stirring 
thee  oft  times  to  the  same  sins,  they  are  the  words  of 
other  spirits  than  thine  own  (I  mean  some  of  the  three 
touched  before).  And  thou  for  none  such  thoughts,  be 
they  never  so  thick,  so  foul,  nor  so  many  (I  mean  for  their 
first  coming  in),  but  if  it  be  for  recklessness  of  again- 
standing,^  art  no  blame  worthy.  And  not  only  releasing 
of  purgatory  that  thou  hast  deserved  for  the  same  sins 
done  before,  what  so  they  be,  thou  mayst  deserve,  if 
thou  stifHy  againstand  them,  but  also  much  grace  in  this 
life,  and  much  meed  in  the  bliss  of  heaven.  But  all  those 
evil  thoughts  coming  in  to  thee,  stirring  thee  to  any  sin, 
after  that  thou  hast  consented  to  that  same  sin,  and 
before  that  thou  hast  sorrow  for  that  consent,  and  art 
in  will  to  be  shriven  thereof,  it  is  no  peril  to  thee  to  take 
them  to  thyself,^  and  for  to  shrive  thee  of  them,  as  of 
thoughts  of  thine  own  spirit ;  but  for  to  take  to  thyself 
all  other  thoughts,  the  which  thou  hast  by  very  proof, 
as  it  is  shewed  before,  by  the  speeches  of  other  spirits 
than  of  thyself,  therein  lieth  great  peril,  for  so  mightest 
thou  lightly  misrule  thy  conscience,  charging  a  thing 

1  Unless  because  of  carelessness  in  resisting  them  when  they 
first  come. 
*  To  regard  thyself  as  responsible. 


DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS  129 

for  sin  the  which  is  none  ;  and  this  were  great  error,  and 
a  mean  to  the  greatest  peril.  For  if  it  were  so  that  each 
evil  thought  and  stirring  to  sin  were  the  work  and  the 
speech  of  none  other  spirit,  but  only  of  man's  own  spirit ; 
then  it  would  follow  by  that  that  a  man's  own  spirit  were 
a  very  fiend,  the  which  is  apertly  false  and  a  damnable 
woodness;^  for  though  aU  it  be  so  that  a  soul  may,  by 
frailty  and  custom  of  sinning,  fall  in  to  so  much  wretched- 
ness, that  it  taketh  on  itself  by  bondage  of  sin  the  office 
of  the  devil,  stirring  itself  to  sin  ever  more  and  more, 
without  any  suggestion  of  any  other  spirit  (as  it  is  said 
before),  yet  it  is  not  therefore  a  devil  in  kind,  but  it  is 
a  devil  in  office,  and  may  be  cleped  devilish,  for  it  is  in 
the  doing  like  to  the  devil,  [that  is  to  say,  a  stirrer  of  itself 
unto  sin,  the  which  is  the  office  of  the  devil].^  Never- 
theless yet,  for  all  this  thraldom  to  sin  and  devilishness 
in  office,  it  may  by  grace  of  contrition,  of  shrift,  and  of 
amending,  recover  the  freedom  again,  and  be  made  save- 
able — yea,  and  a  full  special  God's  saint  in  this  life,  that 
before  was  full  damnable  and  full  cursed  in  the  living.^ 
And,  therefore,  as  great  a  peril  as  it  is  a  soul  that  is  fallen 
in  sin,  not  for  to  charge  his  conscience  therewith,  nor  for 
to  amend  him  thereof,  as  great  a  peril  it  is,  and,  if  it  may 

1  Madness. 

2  Not  in  Harl.  MS.  674. 

3  Pepwell  reads :  "  a  full  damnable  and  a  full  cursed  fiend  in 
his  living." 

I 


130     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

be  said,  a  greater,  a  man  for  to  charge  his  conscience  with 
each  thought  and  stirring  of  sin  that  will  come  in  him ; 
for,  by  such  nice  charging  of  conscience,  might  he  lightly 
run  in  to  error  of  conscience,  and  so  be  led  in  to  despair 
all  his  life  time.  And  the  cause  of  aU  this  is  lacking  of 
knowing  of  discretion  of  spirits,  the  which  knowing  may 
be  gotten  by  very  experience  ;  who  so  redely  will  look  soon 
after  that  a  soul  have  been  truly  cleansed  by  confession, 
as  it  is  said  before.  For  fast  after  confession  a  soul  is,  as 
it  were,  a  clean  paper  leaf,  for  ableness  that  it  hath  to 
receive  what  that  men  will  write  thereupon.  Both  they 
do  press  ^  for  to  write  on  the  soul,  when  it  is  clean  in  itself 
made  by  confession  :  God  and  His  angel  on  the  one  party, 
and  the  fiend  and  his  angel  on  the  other  party  ;  but  it  is 
in  the  free  choice  of  the  soul  to  receive  which  that  it 
will.  The  receipt  of  the  soul  is  the  consent  of  the  same 
soul.  A  new  thought  and  a  stirring  to  any  sin,  the  which 
thou  hast  forsaken  before  in  thy  shrift,  what  is  it  else  but 
the  speech  of  one  of  the  three  spirits  the  which  are  thine 
enemies  (touched  before),  proffering  to  write  on  thy  soul 
the  same  sin  again  ?  The  speech  of  thyself,  is  it  not ;  for 
why,  there  is  no  such  thing  written  in  thy  soul,  for  all 
it  is  wasted  away  before  in  thy  shrift,  and  thy  soul  left 
naked  and  bare  ;  nothing  left  thereupon,  but  a  frail  and 
a  free  consent,  more  inclining  to  the  evil,  for  custom 
therein,  than  it  is  to  the  good,  but  more  able  to  the  good 
1  Pepwell  adds:  "  and  desire  much." 


DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS  131 

than  to  the  evil,  for  cleanness  of  the  soul  and  virtue  of 
the  sacrament  of  shrift ;  but,  of  itself,  it  hath  nought  then, 
where  through  it  may  think  or  stir  itself  to  good  or  to 
evil ;  and,  therefore,  it  followeth  that  what  thought  that 
Cometh  then  in  it,  whether  that  it  be  good  or  evil,  it  is 
not  of  itself,  but  the  consent  to  the  good  or  to  the  evU, 
whether  that  it  be,  that  is  ever  more  the  work  of  the 
same  soul. 

And  all  after  the  worthiness  and  the  wretchedness  of 
this  consent,  thereafter  it  deserveth  pain  or  bliss.  If 
this  consent  be  to  evil,  then  as  fast  it  hath,  by  cumbrance 
of  sin,  the  office  of  that  same  spirit  that  first  made  him 
suggestion  of  that  same  sin ;  and  if  it  be  to  the  good, 
then  as  fast  it  hath,  by  grace,  the  office  of  that  same  spirit 
that  first  made  him  stirring*  to  that  same  good.  For 
as  oft  as  any  healful  thought  cometh  in  our  mind,  as 
of  chastity,  of  soberness,  of  despising  of  the  world,  of 
wilful  poverty,  of  patience,  of  meekness,  and  of  charity, 
without  doubt  it  is  the  spirit  of  God  that  speaketh,  either 
by  Himself  or  else  by  some  of  His  angels — that  is  to  say, 
either  His  angels  of  this  life,  the  which  are  true  teachers, 
or  else  His  angels  of  His  bliss,  the  which  are  true  stirrers 
and  inspirers  of  good.  And  as  it  is  said  of  the  other  three 
evil  spirits,  that  a  soul,  for  long  use  and  customable  con- 
senting unto  them,  may  be  made  so  fleshly,  so  worldly, 
and  so  malicious,  that  it  taketh  upon  it  the  office  of  them 
1  Pepwell  reads :  "suggestion." 


132     THE   CELL   OF   SELF-KNOWLEDGE 

aal ;  right  so  it  is  againward  ^  that  a  soul,  for  long  use  and 
custom  in  goodness,  may  be  made  so  ghostly  by  cleanness 
of  living  and  devotion  of  spirit  against  the  spirit  of  the 
flesh,  and  so  heavenly  against  the  spirit  of  the  worid,  and 
so  godly  by  peace  and  by  charity,  and  by  restfulness  of 
heart,  against  the  spirit  of  malice,  of  wrath,  and  of  wicked- 
ness, that  it  hath  them  now  of  office  all  such  good 
thoughts  to  think  when  him  list,  without  forgetting,  in 
as  great  perfection  as  the  frailty  of  this  life  vnW  suffer. 
And  thus  it  may  be  seen  how  that  each  thought  that 
smiteth  on  our  hearts,  whether  that  it  be  good  or  evil,  it 
is  not  evermore  the  speech  of  our  own  spirit,  but  the 
consent  to  the  thought,  what  so  ever  it  be,  that  is  ever  of 
our  own  spirit.  Jesu  grant  us  His  grace,  to  consent  to 
the  good  and  againstand  the  evil.     Amen. 

1  On  the  other  hand. 


FINIS.       DEO   GRATIAS 


INDEX   OF 
NAMES   k   SCRIPTURAL   REFERENCES 


Ancren  Riwle,  The,  xx,  28  n 
Aquinas,  St.  Thomas,  xiii,  81, 

84  n,  86  n 
Asher,  symbolism  of,  6,  i6-ig 
Augustine,  St.,  xii,  25 

Benjamin,  symbolism  of,  xiv, 

xvi,  xvii,  6,  29-33 
Bernard,  St.,  xii,  81 
Bilhah,  symbolism  of,  4-6, 13-16 
Bonaventura,  St.,  xii 

Catherine  of  Siena,  St.,  xi, 
xvii-xix,  xxv-xxvii,  35-47,  52 
«,  107  n 

Caxton,  xviii,  xix 

Chaucer,  17  «,  52  n,  56  «,  95  n, 
120  » 

Chauncy,  Maurice,  xxiv 

Dan,  symbolism  of,  6, 13, 14, 18 
Dante,  xi,  xii,  xiii,  xiv,   38  n, 
88  n,  91  n 


Dinah,  symbolism  of,  6,  25 

Dionysius,  xxiii,  xxiv 

Divine  Cloud  of  Unknowing, 
The,  Author  of,  xii,  xvii,  xxiv, 
XXV,  xxvii,  3,  32,  33,  77-132 

EcKHART,  Meister,  xi 
Exmew,  William,  xxiv 

Flete,  William,  xvii,  xviii, 
52  « 

Gad,  symbolism  of,  6,  i6-ig 
Genesis,  8-1 1,  14-17,  20,  24,  32 

Hawkwood,  John,  xvii 
Hilton  (Hylton),  Walter,  xi,  xii, 
xxii-xxv,  61-73,  104  «,  124  n 
Hiigel,  F.  von,  84  n,  86  n 
Hugh  of  St.  Victor,  xii 

Imitatione  Christi,  De,  xxiii  n, 
65  n 


134 


INDEX 


Isaiah,  134 

Issacbar,  symbolism  of,  6,  20-24 

Jacob,  symbolism  of,  3-7,  10, 

27,  29 
Jacopone  da  Todi,  xi 
James,  Dane,  xviii 
James,  Epistle  of,  98,  99 
Jeremiah,  103,  104 
John,  St.,  Epistles  of ,  25,  119 
Joseph,  symbolism  of,  6,  27-30 
Judah,  symbolism  of,  6,  10-12 
Juliana  of  Norwich,  xi,  xxi,  65  n, 

123  « 

Kempe,  Margery,  xix-xxi,  49-59 

Langland,  Piersthe  Plowman, 

79  «,  8g  n 
Layamons  Brut,  28  n 
Leah,  symbolism  of,  3-11,  14, 

15-20,  24,  26,  29 
Levi,  symbolism  of,  6,  9,  10 
Luke,  St.,  no 

Margery,  see  Kempe 

Matthew,  St.,  8 

Mechthild  of  Magdeburg,  xi 

Naphtali,   symbolism   of,    6, 
13-15,  i8,  19 

Paul,  St.,  Epistles,  21,  40,  41, 

88,  97,  106,  109,  119,  120 
Pepwell,  xiv,  xix 


Proverbs,  28  n 

Psalms,  The,  xiv,  xvi,  xxvi,  9, 

10,  II,  23,  31.  33,  78,  79, 119, 

124 
Pynson,  xxii 

Rachel,    symbolism   of,   3-6, 

12-15,  18,  27-32 
Raymund  of  Capua,  xviii,  xix 
Reuben,  symbolism  of,  6,  7-9 
Richard  of  St.   Victor,  xii-xv, 

xxii,  XXV,  xxvi,  3,  4  «,  19  « 
Richard  RoUe  of  Hampole,  xii 

xii,  xvi,  xvii,  xxiii  «,  xxv,  71  n 
Robert  of  Brunne,  Chronicle  of, 

124  n 
Ruysbroek,  Jan,  xi 

Shelley, xv  n 
Simeon,  symbolism  of,  6,  8,  9 
Song  of  Solomon,  88,  108 
Suso,  Heinrich,  xi 

Tantucci,  Giovanni,  xvii 
Tyrrell,  George,  xxi  n 

Wyclif,  16  «,  79  n,  112  n 
Wynkyn  de  Worde,  xviii,  xix, 
XX,  xxi,  xxvii 

Zebulun,    symbolism    of,    6, 

22-25 
Zechariah,  119 
Zilpah,  symbolism  of,  4-6,  15- 

17,  20 


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Edinburgh  <&*  London 


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